Ukraine and its allies have agreed to work on a ceasefire plan in the next 10 days, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
The Ukrainian president made the remarks after a proposal from US President Donald Trump to stop the war at its current frontlines.
“Some quick points – like a plan for a ceasefire. We decided we will work on it in the next week or 10 days,” Mr Zelenskyy told Axios.
He said Ukraine – partly in an attempt to pressure Russia into talks – was asking the US administration not only for Tomahawk missiles but for “similar things” that do not require lengthy training before Ukrainian military personnel can use them.
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On the ground, Ukraine has moved to strengthen its positions in the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk, as groups of Russian troops infiltrated the city, Kyiv’s military said.
Ukrainian officials said Russian troops have renewed their attempts to capture the key transport hub in the Donetsk region.
“The occupiers, who have entered the city, are not trying to take hold, but intend to advance further north,” the 7th Rapid Response Unit of Ukraine’s airborne troops said in a Facebook post.
“In doing so, the enemy wants to disperse our defence forces and block land logistics corridors.”
Mr Zelenskyy said Russia has concentrated its main strike force against Pokrovsk.
“There is fierce fighting in the city and on the approaches to the city… Logistics are difficult. But we must continue to destroy the occupiers,” he said.
Citing Ukrainian intelligence in his interview with Axios, Mr Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin had privately claimed Moscow would capture the entire Donbas – comprising the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk – by 15 October.
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Russia tests ‘Skyfall’ nuclear missile’
It comes after Russia tested a new nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable cruise missile, which Mr Putin said could dodge existing defences.
Development of the Burevestnik missile, codenamed Skyfall by NATO, was first revealed by Mr Putin in 2018, when he claimed it would have an unlimited range, allowing it to circle the globe undetected by missile defence systems.
In 2019, five nuclear engineers and two service members were killed in an explosion when Russian experts reportedly tried to recover a Burevestnik prototype that had crashed into the White Sea during tests.
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‘Get the war ended,’ Trump tells Putin
Mr Trump, speaking during an official trip from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo, said Mr Putin’s talk about missiles was not “appropriate”.
“You’ve got to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its soon fourth year,” he said. “That’s what you ought to do, instead of testing missiles.”
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A Kremlin spokesperson claimed the missile reflects Moscow’s determination to look out for its security interests.
“Russia is consistently working to ensure its own security,” Dmitry Peskov said when asked if the missile announcement was a response to tough new US sanctions imposed on Russia and a signal to the West.
“Ensuring security is a vital issue for Russia, especially against the backdrop of the militaristic sentiment that we are currently hearing, primarily from the Europeans,” he added.
