Zelenskyy: Ukraine Cannot Win War Without U.S. as Putin Orders New Advance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated his country cannot defeat Russia without American support. He made the comment after a meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump, which he called productive. Zelenskyy also accused Russia of spreading lies to sabotage peace talks. He rejected a Kremlin claim that Ukraine tried to attack President Vladimir Putin's residence with a drone, calling it a "complete fabrication." Meanwhile, Putin ordered his army to take full control of Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region. A Russian commander said troops are now 15km from the region's main city. Moscow already controls about 75% of the province. Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said the West must accept that Russia holds the strategic initiative on the battlefield. He stated this is a key reality as discussions about a possible settlement continue. In other news, power line repairs near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are complete. The work was monitored by the UN's nuclear watchdog, which helped broker a local ceasefire for the repairs. In occupied Mariupol, a destroyed theatre has reopened. Russian-installed authorities held a concert in the rebuilt building. The original theatre was hit by a Russian airstrike in 2022, killing hundreds of civilians sheltering inside.