• Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stepped up diplomacy over Russia’s invasion of his nation.
• He holds conversations with the presidents of the US., Turkey, and France.
• Ukraine-focused international events will yield “significant results,” he stated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stepped up diplomacy over Russia’s invasion of his nation, having conversations with the presidents of the U.S., Turkey, and France.

Since Russian soldiers arrived in late February, Zelenskyy has held numerous calls with US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, although it’s rare for him to do so in a single day.

Zelenskyy said in his nightly video message that Ukraine-focused international events will yield “significant results” in the next week.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will hold an online discussion with G7 leaders and EU foreign ministers on Monday to discuss new penalties against Russia and aid or weaponry delivery to Ukraine.

Russian missile and drone attacks have devastated much of the country’s energy infrastructure, leaving millions without power and warmth in cold weather.

Zelenskyy praised Biden for “extraordinary defense and financial” assistance and discussed Ukraine’s need for anti-aircraft defense equipment to safeguard its people.

“We appreciate the USA’s help restoring Ukraine’s electricity system,” he stated.

He claimed Ukraine would attend the G7 summit and had “coordinated views with America” after the call.

White House states, Biden emphasized US efforts to improve Ukraine’s air defenses.

Additional sanctions

Zelenskyy’s prior talks with Macron and Erdogan focused on the energy issue.

Zelenskyy said his hour-long conversation with Macron covered “military, energy, economy, and diplomacy.”

He also thanked Turkey for sheltering Ukrainian youngsters and deploying hundreds of generators.

The Ukrainian president said he and Erdogan discussed expanding the grain export pact that unlocked Ukrainian ports in July following a six-month Russian embargo.

Early in the war, Turkey mediated peace efforts with the UN.

Erdogan’s office said he called on Putin to end the tension Sunday.

Putin warned last week of a lengthy battle, saying Moscow’s lack of trust in the West would make a settlement over Ukraine difficult.

Macron has championed diplomacy in the conflict, but his contradictory messages have rattled Kyiv, some allies, and the Baltic countries: it’s up to Kyiv to decide whether to speak with Moscow, but Russia needs security guarantees.

EU foreign ministers will consider the ninth package of measures that may add roughly 200 more individuals and businesses to the EU sanctions list, as well as an additional 2 billion euros for arms exports to Ukraine.

The worst battle in Europe since World War II has no continuing peace talks.

Moscow shows no evidence of respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and pre-war borders, stating the four territories it claims to have annexed in September are “forever” Russian.

Kyiv won’t give Russia territory for peace.

Ukrainian soldiers are dug in along the front line in the east amid continuing bombardment, and Zelenskyy said Russian assaults have left Bakhmut in ruins.

Several frontline cities in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, where Moscow-backed rebels have fought Kyiv since 2014, “remain exceedingly challenging.”

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