During a visit to Madrid, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s allies to exert maximum pressure on Russia to secure peace. His call came in the wake of Moscow’s claims of capturing two villages in eastern Ukraine and a recent Russian strike on Kharkiv that killed more than a dozen people.
“In these weeks, our soldiers are defending themselves against the Russian offensive,” Zelenskyy stated on Monday, emphasizing the need for intensified collaboration with partners to achieve security and compel Russia towards peace by all means necessary.
Zelenskyy is set to continue his diplomatic efforts with a visit to Portugal on Tuesday, according to Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s office, which did not provide further details. Zelenskyy also advocated for Ukraine’s allies to allow his forces to “defend ourselves,” responding to some Western officials’ calls for reconsidering the restrictions on Ukraine’s use of supplied weapons to strike Russia.
