Zelensky Highlights Military Gains and Prepares for High-Stakes Alaska Summit
Zelensky reports battlefield advances while preparing for crucial U.S.-Russia-Ukraine talks. Ukrainian troops are gaining ground in the east as Russia suffers heavy losses. Military leaders focus on frontline defenses, army modernization, and securing future defense budgets.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that his forces are making advances on the battlefield, particularly in the Pokrovsk direction, as preparations intensify for a pivotal trilateral meeting in Alaska involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia.
In a statement on his Telegram channel, Zelensky said he chaired a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (Stavka) to address three priority issues: the front line, particularly in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia; the development of Ukraine’s contract-based army; and financing for the Defense and Security Forces for 2025–2026.
Zelensky praised the effective operations of the 79th and 82nd Air Assault Brigades in the Dobropillia sector, adding that additional reinforcements had been approved for the Donetsk region. He stressed that positions in Zaporizhzhia were also receiving heightened attention.
“The Russian army continues to suffer significant losses as it seeks more advantageous political leverage for the Russian leadership ahead of the meeting in Alaska,” he stated, noting that Kyiv is keeping its partners informed about the real situation on the ground.
The Ukrainian leader said he expects an intelligence report on Russian intentions later in the day, underscoring that the Alaska meeting carries “high stakes” and should open the door to “a real path to a just peace.” He emphasized that Russia must take the necessary steps to end the war and reaffirmed Ukraine’s readiness to work “as productively as possible.”
U.S. President Donald Trump, who is hosting the initial summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, has described it as a preparatory step for a broader meeting that would also include Zelensky. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump framed the talks as a humanitarian effort aimed at halting the war, which he said claims “thousands of soldiers a week.”
“I’ll know within the first two minutes, three minutes, four minutes or five minutes… whether or not we’re going to have a good meeting or a bad meeting,” Trump told reporters, pledging to end the talks “very quickly” if unproductive. If successful, he said, “we’re going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future.”
Zelensky also met with his government, the Office of the President, and the National Security and Defense Council to review Ukraine’s diplomatic strategy, audit the effectiveness of coalitions with partners, and refine bilateral engagements. He instructed officials to update the foreign policy work plan through the end of the year, with a presentation expected on Monday.
Trump, for his part, expressed confidence that both Putin and Zelensky “will make peace,” while rejecting the notion that the summit rewards Moscow for its invasion. “Everybody’s to blame. Putin’s to blame. They’re all to blame. This is a war that would have never happened,” he said, adding that he is not considering offering rare earth minerals or immediate NATO troop reductions as part of the talks.
