Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined new Kremlin demands, prospects for a ceasefire, and the catastrophic losses suffered by the Russian army since the start of 2026.
As reported by Hvylya, the head of state made these statements during a speech at the Bucha Summit.
According to the president, Moscow delivered a new deadline through American partners. Russia threatens to capture the Donbas within the next two months and demands that Ukraine voluntarily withdraw its troops from the region. If this does not happen, the Kremlin promises to set "other conditions" for peace.
Zelensky openly questioned why anyone still believes such threats. He pointed out the simple logic: if Russia's goal is merely the Donbas, why threaten to go further in case of a refusal? This directly indicates that the enemy's appetite extends beyond a single region.
To assess the true state of the Russian military, the president provided recent statistics. In the first three months of 2026 alone, the enemy lost 89,000 soldiers killed and severely wounded. This exceeds Russia's recruitment capacity. The Kremlin planned to mobilize over 400,000 people this year, but as of March, it managed to draft only a fifth of that target—about 80,000.
Tomorrow, April 1, the Ukrainian leader will hold a major online conversation with Donald Trump's team regarding future steps toward peace. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, US special envoys Witkoff and Kushner, and Senator Graham will join the discussion. They will attempt to determine when a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the US, and Russia might be possible.
The possibility of an Easter ceasefire will be a separate topic. Kyiv relies on Washington's support for this initiative and awaits Moscow's response. Regarding a pause in energy infrastructure attacks, there are currently no signals from the Russians.
"If they strike us, we will respond. If they are ready to stop, we will act in a mirror manner," Zelensky emphasized, outlining Ukraine's position.
Recalling the tragedies in Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, and other cities, the president urged the world not to forgive Russia for its crimes. He harshly criticized the recent, incomprehensible decision by the US Treasury Department to lift sanctions on three Russian ships, noting that Nazism was ultimately punished, not granted partial relief from restrictions.