Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had scored a "personal victory" by getting invited to talks with Donald Trump on US soil, and that the meeting further delayed sanctions on Moscow.
"First, he will meet on US territory, which I consider his personal victory. Second, he is coming out of isolation because he is meeting on US territory. Third, with this meeting, he has somehow postponed sanctions," Zelenskyy told reporters on Tuesday.
Zelenskyy also said that Russia was planning new ground assaults on at least three different areas of the front line in order to pressure Kiev and seek concessions.
"They are preparing for an offensive operation, we believe, in three directions. The main directions are Zaporizhzhia, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivka," the Ukrainian leader added.
‘Destroy them’
Zelenskyy said that Russian troops had advanced by up to 10 kilometres near the eastern coal mining town of Dobropillia, but that Kiev would soon "destroy them".
"Russian units have advanced 10 kilometres deep in several spots. They all have no equipment, only weapons in their hands. Some have already been found, some destroyed, some taken prisoner. We will find the rest and destroy them in the near future," Zelenskyy told reporters.
