KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky told AFP on Friday that his army has recently liberated swathes of territory in southern Ukraine, even as Washington and Moscow pressure Kyiv to cede other regions to end the war.
Zelensky, speaking just days before the gruelling war's fourth anniversary, said the United States and Russia are still insisting that Kyiv give up its embattled Donbas region, a scenario that Ukraine has repeatedly ruled out.
But even against the backdrop of US-led talks aimed at ending the conflict, Kyiv's army was recapturing land from invading Russian forces, Zelensky told AFP in an exclusive interview in the presidency in Kyiv.
"I won't go into too many details," Zelensky said, "but today I can congratulate our army first and foremost -- all the defence forces -- because as of today, 300 (square) kilometres have been liberated."
AFP was unable to verify the claim.
Ukraine, which has been suffering manpower and resource shortages compared to Russian forces, was still facing pressure to cede Donbas, a heavily industrialised and fortified region in the east that Russia has claimed as its own, Zelensky said.
"Both the Americans and the Russians say that if you want the war to end tomorrow, get out of Donbas," the Ukrainian leader told AFP.
Ukraine has repeatedly ruled out pulling its troops out of the region, saying such move would only embolden Russia.
Kyiv's troops still control around one-fifth of the Donetsk region, while Russia has seized roughly the entire Lugansk region -- the two are together referred to as the Donbas.
It said that it would not sign a peace deal that fails to deter Russia from invading again.
US-mediated talks in Geneva earlier this week failed to make progress on the key issue of territory in any deal to end the conflict.
Moscow has vowed it will capture the entire Donbas by force if Kyiv does not withdraw, with President Vladimir Putin showing no signs of compromise on his hardline demands to end his four-year invasion.
Ukraine has liberated 300 sq km in southern counteroffensive: Zelensky to AFP
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Ukraine has liberated 300 sq km in southern counteroffensive: Zelensky to AFP
- "Both the Americans and the Russians say that if you want the war to end tomorrow, get out of Donbas," the Ukrainian leader said
- Ukraine has repeatedly ruled out pulling its troops out of the region
Saudi ambassador becomes first foreign envoy to meet Bangladesh’s new PM
- Tarique Rahman took oath as PM last week after landslide election win
- Ambassador Abdullah bin Abiyah also meets Bangladesh’s new FM
Dhaka: Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Dhaka became on Sunday the first foreign envoy to meet Bangladesh’s new Prime Minister Tarique Rahman since he assumed the country’s top office.
Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party made a landslide win in the Feb. 12 election, securing an absolute majority with 209 seats in the 300-seat parliament.
The son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, he was sworn in as the prime minister last week.
The Saudi government congratulated Rahman on the day he took the oath of office, and the Kingdom’s Ambassador Abdullah bin Abiyah was received by the premier in the Bangladesh Secretariat, where he also met Bangladesh’s new foreign minister.
“Among the ambassadors stationed in Dhaka, this is the first ambassadorial visit with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman since he assumed office,” Saleh Shibli, the prime minister’s press secretary, told Arab News.
“The ambassador conveyed greetings and best wishes to Bangladesh’s prime minister from the king and crown prince of Saudi Arabia … They discussed bilateral matters and ways to strengthen the ties among Muslim countries.”
Rahman’s administration succeeded an interim government that oversaw preparations for the next election following the 2024 student-led uprising, which toppled former leader Sheikh Hasina and ended her Awami League party’s 15-year rule.
New Cabinet members were sworn in during the same ceremony as the prime minister last week.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is a former UN official who served as Bangladesh’s national security adviser during the interim government’s term.
He received Saudi Arabia’s ambassador after the envoy’s meeting with the prime minister.
“The foreign minister expressed appreciation for the Saudi leadership’s role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East and across the Muslim Ummah. He also conveyed gratitude for hosting a large number of Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom and underscored the significant potential for expanding cooperation across trade, investment, energy, and other priority sectors, leveraging the geostrategic positions of both countries,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The Saudi ambassador expressed his support to the present government and his intention to work with the government to enhance the current bilateral relationship to a comprehensive relationship.”
Around 3.5 million Bangladeshis live and work in Saudi Arabia. They have been joining the Saudi labor market since 1976, when work migration to the Kingdom was established during the rule of the new prime minister’s father.
Bangladeshis are the largest expat group in the Kingdom and the largest Bangladeshi community outside Bangladesh and send home more than $5 billion in remittances every year.
