Russia closes in on key Ukrainian city as Zelensky visits frontline

2024-12-12 20:45:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Russian forces continue to close in on the strategic eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk as diplomatic efforts step up to end Europe's biggest war in decades.

According to online war-mapping platform Deep State, Russian troops have come within 3 kilometers of the eastern part of Pokrovsk, which is a key junction for Ukraine as well as the country's only domestic supplier of coke.

"Unconventional decisions must be taken to extend the endurance of our defenses and further destroy the invader," said General Oleksandr Syrskiy, Ukraine's commander-in-chief.

“Extremely fierce fighting on the battlefield. The Russians are using all their forces to try to break our defenses," he wrote on Facebook.

This area has for months witnessed some of the fiercest battles since the beginning of Russia's full occupation of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited the front lines in the Zaporizhia region on Thursday, has called for reinforcements as Ukrainian positions appear to be struggling to cope with Russia's troop advantage.

Speaking to Radio Free Europe, Serhiy Filimonov, commander of the 108th "Da Vinci Wolves" battalion, warned that the main reason for losses as Russia advances towards Pokrovsk is the "unrealistic tasks" for troops in the region, consider the number of their soldiers.

The intensification of fighting on the battlefield comes as both sides try to strengthen their positions amid signs of a possible ceasefire and peace talks in the coming months.

Fighting on the battlefield has intensified as both sides aim to strengthen their positions, as there are signs of a possible ceasefire and peace talks in the coming months.

Diplomatic momentum
The foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland met in Berlin on Thursday to discuss aid for Ukraine, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country is a strong supporter of neighboring Ukraine, hosted French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron, in a meeting in Warsaw to discuss the steps after the war.

Leaders from across Europe are trying to prove to US President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, that they are willing to shoulder the burden of ending the war almost three years in Ukraine.

Trump has claimed he can end the war in 24 hours, raising concerns he could force Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, jeopardizing EU security.

In a so-called "Berlin Declaration", the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, underlined their continued support for Kiev.

"We are committed to providing Ukraine with unwavering security guarantees, including long-term military and financial support," the statement said.

The meeting in Berlin was organized by the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock.

After the meeting with Macron, Tusk said that Poland has no plans to send troops to Ukraine.

A Polish media outlet reported on the eve of the meeting that Tusk and Macron would discuss the possibility of sending a European peacekeeping force of 40,000 soldiers to Ukraine.

Zelensky has repeatedly called for strong security guarantees, including NATO membership, saying otherwise there is no way to stop Russia from carrying out further invasions.

Tusk and Macron, who met ahead of a meeting of EU ministers, reaffirmed that any peace deal in Ukraine must include Ukrainians.

"We will work with France for a solution that will above all protect Europe and Ukraine," Tusk said.

The Polish Prime Minister said two days ago that peace talks could begin "in winter"./REL