Posted on 08/24/2025 4:06:22 PM PDT by Mariner
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted Sunday that a meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin remained "the most effective way forward" as the two sides exchange prisoners and the country celebrated Independence Day.
Kyiv's general said that Ukrainian troops had recaptured three villages in its Donetsk region that had fallen under Russian control. And Ukraine launched drone strikes on Russia, triggering a fire at a nuclear power plant.
After a push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia on Friday ruled out any immediate Putin-Zelensky meeting.
But Zelensky said Sunday that the "format of talks between leaders is the most effective way forward", renewing calls for a bilateral summit with Putin.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
Because Zelensky has repeatedly said he will not cede land for Peace.
Putin has said he will not give back land Ruzzia has won.
What would be the purpose of a meeting?
“Because Zelensky has repeatedly said he will not cede land for Peace.
Putin has said he will not give back land Ruzzia has won.
What would be the purpose of a meeting?”
We agree to stop the killing and agree not to move any of our fighters past certain lines.
However, this agreement cedes no land, nor shall it impair any claim to land.
Why didn’t you just say what that is?
A Ceasefire.
Exactly. Trump tried to get a peace agreement. Neither side seems to want it. We need to stop wasting valuable time and resources.
Of the four oblasts that Russia annexed from Ukraine and declared as “Russian territory,” it’s worth noting that Russia controls only about 70% of each of three of those oblasts. Only the fourth oblast is under nearly 100% Russian control.
Russia has stated that not only do they intend to keep the territory they have already occupied, but they also demand that Ukraine “gives up” the remaining 30% of those three oblasts - just like that(!) - simply because the Russian army is in a quagmire there and is not capable of achieve anything there.
This is simply unthinkable. The Ukrainian people would never accept it; too many lives have been lost, successfully defending those areas, and those 30% have remained under Ukrainian control throughout.
Results: Russia is still a far-cry away from controlling those three oblasts. It will remain under Ukrainian control.
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