Russia Zelensky calls for a show of strength for peace
Following his return from the USA, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on his compatriots to mobilize all forces to achieve what Kiev considers a just peace.
01.10.2024, 06:10
SDA
"Everything that can be done this fall, everything that we can achieve, we must achieve," he said in his evening video address. It was necessary to increase the pressure on Russia as much as possible in order to force an end to the war.
To this end, military and diplomatic efforts should be combined. The aim is to implement the agreements reached in the USA. "Now it is necessary to work to the maximum before Ramstein," said Selenskyj. A major meeting of the Ukraine Support Group is planned for October 12 in Ramstein, Rhineland-Palatinate. Among others, US President Joe Biden is expected to attend.
No permission for the use of long-range weapons
Kiev is hoping for further support from its partners, even if Zelenskyi did not obtain approval for one of Ukraine's main demands during his US trip, namely the release of long-range weapons for strikes against military objects deep inside Russian territory. The Ukrainian head of state said that he expected "concrete things" from his partners for the realization of the concept he called the Victory Plan.
The former US Special Representative for Ukraine, Kurt Walker, therefore rated Zelensky's US trip as not particularly successful. The Ukrainian had arrived in the middle of the election campaign, he said in an interview with the Russian-language service of Deutsche Welle. However, Walker did not rule out the possibility that the ban on Kiev using the weapons could be lifted before the US election.
Situation at the front extremely difficult
Selenskyj also reported on a conversation with the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian troops, Olexander Syrskyj, and the chief of staff, Anatoly Barhylevych. The head of state admitted that the situation was "very difficult". He did not give any details. However, it is known that Kiev's troops have been under pressure in the east for months. For example, Moscow is advancing on the three towns of Pokrovsk, Kurakhove and Vuhledar in the Donetsk region.
According to the General Staff in Kiev, there were around 160 battles along the front during the course of the day. Almost 70 of these took place in the area in front of the three cities mentioned. While the military reported high losses on the Russian side in the official situation report, according to Ukrainian military experts, Russian units have already entered the city of Wuhledar from the south and west. For a long time, the city was considered a bastion that was difficult to capture. However, the Russians were recently able to bypass the defensive positions.
Ukraine angry about Swiss position on peace plan
Ukraine has expressed its displeasure at Swiss support for a peace plan presented by China and Brazil for an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war. "All initiatives that do not contain a clear reference to the UN Charter and do not guarantee the full restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity are unacceptable," the Foreign Ministry in Kiev wrote in a commentary. Such "peace initiatives" are only there to create an illusion of dialog. Kiev was equally annoyed that Ukraine was being discussed without Ukraine.
Last week, Switzerland took part as an observer in a meeting organized by Brazil and China on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. According to media reports, a six-point plan for an end to the war, which has been going on since 2022, was presented. According to reports, the core of the plan would be a ceasefire along the current front line, following the example of the Korean War.
Nicolas Bideau, spokesperson for the Swiss Foreign Ministry, stated that all peace plans are worth considering if they are based on international law, the UN Charter and the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty. This is also provided for in the final declaration of the Ukraine Peace Conference, which Switzerland hosted in mid-June on the Bürgenstock on Lake Lucerne.
