Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia’s losses and Ukraine’s results strengthen Kyiv’s position ahead of U.S.-led negotiations

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday, on the eve of the trilateral talks led by the United States to end the war in Ukraine, that the results achieved by Ukrainian forces and the losses suffered by the Russian army strengthen Kyiv’s position at the negotiating table.

In his video address, Zelenskyy said that every successfully completed defensive operation contributes to strengthening Ukraine. He argued that Russia is suffering record losses “every day and every week,” while Ukrainian long-range attacks on Russian targets, including in the oil industry, are having an effect.

The Ukrainian president said that Moscow can end the war and stressed that the United States must persuade Russia to take this step.

The front line, approximately 1,200 kilometers long, has remained relatively stable in recent months. Officials in Kyiv say that the slow advance of Russian forces in the Donetsk region has diminished, while Russian commanders claim that their troops continue to advance.

The Ukrainian delegation at the talks is led by Rustem Umerov, and Kyiv is also seeking progress on prisoner exchanges and other humanitarian issues.