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Ukraine War: Soldiers Vow to fight On as Putin Seeks support and Potential Trump Deal
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Ukrainian Soldiers Say They Are Willing to Continue fighting
The Ukrainian armed forces are locked in intense battles along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. The area around pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk province is bearing the brunt of the fighting, as Russia attempts to break through towards the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukraine is facing a meaningful troop shortage.
Heavy fighting is also concentrated in the Sumy border region in northern Ukraine,where Ukrainian troops are working to prevent Russian reinforcements from being diverted to Donetsk.
In Pokrovsk, a commander expressed deep skepticism about Russia’s intentions.
“It is impractical to negotiate with them. The only option is to defeat them,” said Buddha, commander of a drone unit with the Spartan brigade, speaking to the Associated Press and using only his call sign in line with Ukrainian military protocol.
“I would like them to except and for all this to end, but Russia will not accept it; he does not want to negotiate.So the only option is to defeat them,” he added.
Further south, in the Zaporizhzhia region, an artillery commander known as Warsaw emphasized the determination of ukrainian troops to repel the invasion.
“We are on our land, we have no way out,” he stated. “So we stand firm, we have no choice.”
Putin Makes Several Telephone Calls
the Kremlin announced Friday that Putin spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping, informing him of the outcome of his earlier meeting this week with former U.S. President Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. kremlin officials stated that Xi ”expressed their support for the resolution of the long-term Ukrainian crisis.”
Putin is planning a visit to China next month. The United States alleges that China, along with North Korea and Iran, has been providing military support to russia’s war effort.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on X (formerly Twitter) that he also held a call with Putin to discuss recent developments in Ukraine. Trump signed an executive order Wednesday imposing a 25% tariff on Indian purchases of Russian oil, arguing it helps finance Russia’s war.
The Kremlin also reported that Putin held telephone conversations with the leaders of South Africa, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.
Analysts suggest these calls may indicate Putin is seeking to inform key allies about a potential agreement that could emerge from a planned summit with Trump.
“It means that some kind of real peace agreement has been reached for the first time,” said Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin analyst based in Moscow.
Analysts Say Putin’s Purpose is to Resist Longer Than the West
Putin previously stated his hope to meet with Trump as early as next week, perhaps in the United Arab Emirates.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, assessed on thursday that “Putin remains uninterested in ending his war and is attempting to secure bilateral concessions from the United States without meaningfully participating in a peace process.”
“Putin continues to believe that time is on Russia’s side and that Russia can outlast Ukraine and the West,” the institute added.