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President Zelensky, during a media conference in Kyiv with Ursula von der Leyen, Chief of the European Commission, stated, "Time has passed, people are tired... but this is not a conflict."
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has not ceased over the past 20 months, with continuous attacks between the two countries. Amidst this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied on Saturday that Ukraine's retaliatory strikes against the Russian military had escalated tensions. Just hours before, Kyiv had stated that it had launched an attack on a shipyard in the Crimean Peninsula connected to Moscow.
The simmering conflict along the disputed border between the two warring nations has intensified in the past year, and a senior Ukrainian official warned this week of escalating tensions in the conflict.
President Zelensky, during a media conference in Kyiv with Ursula von der Leyen, Chief of the European Commission, said, "Time has passed, people are tired... but there is no conflict." The Ukrainian leader also denied that there was pressure on Kyiv to negotiate with Russia from Western countries. Amidst these reports, discussions among US and European Union officials have taken place regarding what could be included in such negotiations. Zelensky stated that none of our partners is exerting pressure on us to sit down with Russia, talk to them, and give something to them.
Kerch Attack
Zelensky made these remarks just hours after Kyiv claimed an attack on a shipyard in Kerch on the eastern coast of Russian-occupied Crimea. Since initiating retaliatory actions against Moscow's forces amid the summer season, Kyiv has intensified its actions in the Black Sea Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. However, Ukraine has not provided much information on this matter, and the news agency AFP could not verify Ukraine's account.
Ukraine-Russia War Enters Its 20th Month
It should be noted that since the removal of Moscow from the Black Sea Grain Deal, attacks in the region and its surroundings by Ukrainian and Russian forces have escalated. The purpose of these attacks was to ensure safe passage for cargo ships. The Ukraine-Russia war has been ongoing for 20 months. In the meantime, Ukraine is striving to gain an upper hand in retaliatory strikes. During this period, Zelensky held meetings with Western leaders.
Existential War
Zelensky's comments come at a time when Ursula von der Leyen, Chief of the European Commission, visited Kyiv for discussions on Ukraine's progress towards joining the 27-member bloc. After several months of Russia's invasion last year, Kyiv received candidate status for European Union membership. However, analysts have warned that Ukraine faces a long and challenging path to full membership.