US and Europe see Ukraine in a stronger battlefield position, Zelenskyy says

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine's stronger position on the battlefield is changing the confidence with which Kyiv can approach future negotiations.

Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said both European and American partners had noted the change. "Indeed, everyone emphasises this, without going into details now, we discussed this with the American side, with the European side, everyone notes: we have grown stronger on the battlefield," he said.

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Indeed, everyone emphasises this, without going into details now, we discussed this with the American side, with the European side, everyone notes: we have grown stronger on the battlefield. And this gives us the opportunity to be more confident in any format of future discussions with the American side, and certainly with the Russian side.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine had strengthened its positions over the past 10 to 12 months, including in the east, where Russian forces remain active and have increased their personnel. He added that he believed Russia would carry out mobilisation for that front after its elections.

The Ukrainian president said Kyiv supported trilateral meetings involving the United States and Russia, as well as a broader format that would include Ukraine's European partners. But he said Moscow was not currently showing enough willingness to accept a specific negotiating arrangement. "Yes, everything must be done to ensure trilateral meetings take place, or trilateral meetings plus European partners, and we will see what Russia agrees to," Zelenskyy said. "Today it still has too much confidence, unfortunately, to think about one format or another."

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Yes, everything must be done to ensure trilateral meetings take place, or trilateral meetings plus European partners, and we will see what Russia agrees to. Today it still has too much confidence, unfortunately, to think about one format or another.