Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a press briefing on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, said that the Russian President was “afraid” of negotiations on ending the conflict after Putin ruled out direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart.
“Today, Putin once again confirmed that he is afraid of negotiations, afraid of strong leaders, and does everything possible to prolong the war,” Zelensky said. Putin on Tuesday ruled out speaking directly with Zelensky, whom he called “illegitimate” because elections have not been held in Ukraine since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Meanwhile, on the frontlines, Ukrainian drones continued to target oil and power facilities in western parts of Russia, officials and media outlets reported on Wednesday. In the western region of Smolensk, which borders Belarus, there was a “massive” drone attack and air defence systems destroyed a drone threatening a nuclear power facility, said the governor, Vasily Anokhin.
Zelensky also said that various humanitarian projects in his country had been suspended due to US President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze on foreign aid and that Kyiv would replace funding where possible.
