Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is trying to improve relations with the United States after a scandal in the White House, The Washington Post reports.
The Ukrainian leader faces a dangerous political moment as Washington delays the signing of a mining deal with Kiev, halts military support for the Ukrainian armed forces and limits the sharing of intelligence information, the article says.
It indicates that the politician's entourage has seized the opportunity to start negotiations with Zelensky's domestic political rivals. As the newspaper notes, this could undermine his leadership, as it raises the controversial issue of holding elections during wartime.
The same article quotes comments from Ukrainian military personnel. A source, identified only as Artem, said he supports Zelensky but that soldiers in his unit would react negatively to a ceasefire after having "lost so many friends" in the conflict. "Ukraine must continue to fight. We cannot retreat... If we retreat even a little, they will take everything from us. We must win the world on our terms," he said.
Russian troops are gradually pushing the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) out of the Kursk region, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reports.
The Russian army has already managed to regain approximately two-thirds of the territory occupied near Kursk,
“The Ukrainians are apparently retreating, having already lost about two-thirds of the 1,200 square kilometers of Russian territory that they managed to occupy since August 6, 2024,“, the article says.
It is noted that this happened a few days after the United States decided to stop military aid to Ukraine.