Zelensky: Army liberated 300 square kilometers in counteroffensive in southern Ukraine

(Patria) - President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Friday to AFP that his army recently liberated parts of territory in southern Ukraine, even as Washington and Moscow pressure Kyiv to cede other regions to end the war.

Zelensky, speaking just days before the fourth anniversary of the grueling war, said the United States and Russia continue to insist that Kyiv give up its Donbas region, a scenario Ukraine has repeatedly ruled out.

But even in the context of US-led negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, the Ukrainian army has been reclaiming land from invading Russian forces, Zelensky told AFP in an exclusive interview at the presidency in Kyiv.

"I will not go into too many details," Zelensky said, "but today I can congratulate our army first of all – all the defense forces – because as of today, 300 (square) kilometers have been liberated."

Ukraine, which has suffered from a shortage of manpower and resources compared to Russian forces, continued to face pressure to cede Donbas, a highly industrialized and fortified region in the east that Russia considers its own, Zelensky said.

"Both the Americans and the Russians say that if you want the war to end tomorrow, get out of Donbas," Zelensky said.

Ukraine has repeatedly ruled out withdrawing its troops from the region, saying such a move would only embolden Russia.

Ukrainian troops still control about one-fifth of the Donetsk region, while Russia has occupied almost the entire Luhansk region. These two regions are collectively known as Donbas.
Russia has vowed to take all of Donbas by force if Kyiv does not withdraw, and President Vladimir Putin has shown no signs of compromise on his hardline demands to end the four-year invasion.