Negotiations to resume today. * Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky asked to extend martial law by 30 days.
Ukraine continues to resist Russian forces as the invasion continues into its 20th day as negotiations are set to resume and martial law could be extended by 30 days.
So far, Ukrainian troops have continued to hold out as the Russian advance remains slow. However, fighting remains in many key cities, such as in the Black Sea port of Mariupol, which remains blockaded and under heavy fire by Russian forces as resources remain lacking. Humanitarian aid has been sent to the city, but the blockade has kept it stuck in nearby Berdyansk for three days now.
According to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian losses in the ongoing invasion have exceeded the casualties in two years worth of fighting in Chechnya.
These remarks came in his nightly video address, embedded below.
The transcript of his speech was shared by Ukrainian state media outlet Ukrinform.
As Ukraine continues to fight back against Russian forces, reports have circulated of Ukrainian forces obtaining Russian equipment and vehicles. According to Zelensky, this has gone to such an extent that Russia is now essentially a supplier of military equipment for the Ukrainian army.
“They flee the battlefield, throwing away equipment,” Zelensky said. “We take them as trophies and use them to defend Ukraine.”
The president further stated that the Russian military will face justice and take responsibility for what he described as war crimes and singled out the situation in a number of cities such as Mariupol, Kharkiv, Sumy, Irpen and Chernihiv.
Negotiations and martial law
Zelensky said that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are set to resume Tuesday in an effort to bring an end to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which is now stretching into its 20th day.
“Our delegation also worked on this in negotiations with the Russian party,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address. “Pretty good, as I was told. But let’s see. They will continue tomorrow.”
This comes after the president requested the government extend martial law in the country for another 30 days in light of the ongoing Russian invasion of the country.
All bill was submitted Monday to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s legislature, to approve the extension, and information about it was shared on the Verkhovna Rada’s Telegram channel.
A copy of the bill itself is available on the Verkhovna Rada’s website and can be seen here.
As reported by The Jerusalem Post