Zelenskyy warns of Russian troop buildup, says Ukrainian forces will remain in Kursk ‘as long as needed’

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is amassing troops along the Sumy front and preparing fresh offensives on the Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kharkiv fronts to escalate pressure on Kyiv in the coming months, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.

He also noted that Ukrainian troops were continuing operations in Russia’s Kursk region, despite recent Russian offensives. “Ukraine is fulfilling its task in the Kursk region. The Ukrainian military is there, and they will be there as long as we need this operation”, he said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

Right now, in many regions, you can literally hear what Russia truly needs. Around 40 “Shahed” drones are in our skies, and air defense is active.

Unfortunately, there have been hits, specifically on civilian infrastructure. A direct hit by a “Shahed” drone on a hospital in… pic.twitter.com/TKTeB9gaZy

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 18, 2025

Earlier in the day, French President Emmanuel Macron alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, weighed in on the continuing negotiations for peace in Ukraine. “The first steps are put in place, but the objective must remain the same: to have a solid ceasefire, measurable and verifiable,” the French president said after meeting the German Chancellor in Berlin.

“That is not conceivable without having the Ukrainians at the table”, Al Jazeera quoted Macron. He added that Germany’s decision to beef up its defence spending was “good news” for the whole of Europe.

Zelenskyy further stated that he supports a 30-day pause in attacks on energy infrastructure but requires more details before Kyiv can fully endorse the proposal. He made these remarks on Tuesday while visiting Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed to have had a “productive” phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which both leaders agreed to an immediate ceasefire on energy and infrastructure.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said they discussed key elements of a peace agreement and that the ceasefire process is now underway.

“My phone conversation today with President Putin of Russia was a very good and productive one. We agreed to an immediate Ceasefire on all Energy and Infrastructure, with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between Russia and Ukraine. This War would have never started if I were President! Many elements of a Contract for Peace were discussed, including the fact that thousands of soldiers are being killed, and both President Putin and President Zelenskyy would like to see it end. That process is now in full force and effect, and we will, hopefully, for the sake of Humanity, get the job done!”, Trump’s post read. (ANI)