Ukraine is gearing up for a major battle against Russia in the country’s southeast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday during a joint press conference with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Kiev. At the same time, however, Ukraine is looking for “certain diplomatic ways” to end the ongoing conflict, Zelensky added.
“We see preparations for an important – and some say decisive – battle,” he claimed.
“In the east, and not only in the east, but also in the south, there is an accumulation of troops. {There is} a large number of troops, equipment, armed people who are going to occupy another part of our territories. It will be a difficult battle. We believe in our struggle, we believe in our victory,” Zelensky said.
At the same time, the Ukrainian president reiterated that the country has always been “ready for negotiations” with Moscow. While gearing up for the upcoming battle in the southeast, Kiev “looks for certain diplomatic ways that can stop this war,” he added.