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Zelensky takes command of Ukraine’s armed forces

President Zelensky acknowledged the need for urgent changes, stating, “The feeling of stagnation in the southern areas and the difficulties in the fighting in the Donetsk region have affected the public mood.”…reports Asian Lite News

In a long-anticipated move, President Volodymyr Zelensky has replaced General Valerii Zaluzhnyi as the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, marking a significant shift in the country’s military leadership amid ongoing tensions with Russia, reported CNN.

Speculation was rife for over a week before Zelensky’s announcement on February 8, reflecting the strained relationship between him and Zaluzhnyi over recent months.

The change comes at a crucial moment in the war with Russia, with Ukrainian units facing challenges along various fronts, particularly in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions. Shortages of ammunition and experienced personnel have added to the complexities faced by Ukrainian forces, as per CNN.

President Zelensky acknowledged the need for urgent changes, stating, “The feeling of stagnation in the southern areas and the difficulties in the fighting in the Donetsk region have affected the public mood.”

According to CNN, the appointment of General Oleksandr Syrskyi as Zaluzhnyi’s successor signifies a potential shift in Ukrainian military strategy. While Syrskyi is seen as a consensus choice, concerns linger regarding his leadership style and effectiveness.

Syrskyi has been in command of land forces since the Russian invasion but was criticized for extending the defense of Bakhmut at great human cost. Subordinates have described him as lacking empathy and some soldiers took to calling him “General 200” (200 is the military code for killed-in-action.)

Matthew Schmidt, Director of the International Affairs programme at the University of New Haven, says, “Maybe it’s a phase in the war where a safe choice is the right move.”

Syrskyi faces immediate challenges, including stabilizing the front lines, replenishing depleted ranks, and expediting the delivery of Western munitions to bolster Ukrainian defenses.

Amid persistent Russian attacks around Avdiivka and Kupyansk, “the first priority is to make sure you can hold the current line of contact,” Schmidt says.

The head of Ukrainian Military Intelligence, Lt Gen Kyrylo Budanov, told CNN at the end of January that ammunition is “one of the most decisive factors” in the war.

With the Biden administration’s package of USD 61 billion in military aid blocked in Congress, the US has been sending smaller packages for several months, and the slowdown has already begun affecting the Ukrainian military’s planning and operations, according to US officials.

Schmidt says “the immediate priority is to get enough artillery shells to the front to keep the Russians from exploiting the pause in US aid. Each artillery shell that’s available to fire equates to needing fewer infantry to hold the line.”

This week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said: “If you ask a soldier at the front what he needs most right now, he will say shells. This answer was the same yesterday, a month ago, six months ago and a year ago.”

The scarcity of artillery shells remains a pressing issue, with US military aid facing delays in Congress. Efforts to enhance European production of munitions are underway but falling short of targets.

With Russia’s substantial manpower advantage, estimated to be three times greater than Ukraine’s, and ongoing military adaptations, Ukraine seeks to narrow the technological gap through investments in unmanned systems and cyber technology.

Ukraine’s more professional units are exhausted by two years of non-stop combat, and their ranks are thinned by casualties. Ukraine does not publish figures, but US officials estimate that as many as 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and nearly twice that number have been injured.

In a column for CNN last week, Zaluzhnyi said: “We must acknowledge the significant advantage enjoyed by the enemy in mobilizing human resources and how that compares with the inability of state institutions in Ukraine to improve the manpower levels of our armed forces without the use of unpopular measures.”

Zelenskyy emphasised the importance of domestic drone technology, which has already demonstrated effectiveness in thwarting Russian advances in key areas.

While filling Zaluzhnyi’s shoes poses a challenge, the focus remains on fostering unity and purpose within Ukraine’s leadership amid a precarious window of vulnerability.

As the conflict evolves, Ukraine navigates a complex landscape while confronting Russian strategic maneuvers and internal pressures. The nation’s resolve remains tested amidst ongoing geopolitical dynamics.

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Zelensky Condemns Unprecedented Russian Assault

Russia launched almost 100 missiles of various types at Ukraine, killing at least five people and injuring 130 others, Zelensky was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying…reports Asian Lite News

Russia has fired nearly 300 missiles and more than 200 Shahed combat drones against Ukraine since December 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

“No other state has ever repelled such attacks, combined ones: both drones and missiles, including air-launched ballistic missiles. Ten Kinzhal missiles have been shot down today alone,” Zelensky said in a video address on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Russia launched almost 100 missiles of various types at Ukraine, killing at least five people and injuring 130 others, Zelensky was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.

Oleksii Kuleba, the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, said on Telegram that more than 250 civilian facilities have been damaged in the latest attack, which targeted mostly the Ukrainian capital and the country’s second-largest city of Kharkiv.

In Kiev alone, two people were killed and 49 others injured in the air strike, and 43 of them were hospitalized, said the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko.

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US Won’t Betray Ukraine, Says Zelensky

Zelensky suggested that Ukraine could mobilise 500,000 more people in order to fight on….reports Asian Lite News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed confidence that the United States and other Western countries will continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, as reported by Al Jazeera.

While speaking at an end-of-year news conference on Tuesday, Zelensky said that financial assistance plays a crucial role in the country’s efforts to drive back Russian forces that poured over the border in February 2022.

He further suggested that Ukraine could mobilise 500,000 more people in order to fight on.

“We are working very hard on this, and I am certain the United States of America will not betray us, and that on which we agreed in the United States will be fulfilled completely,” Zelensky said.

The address comes as support for Ukraine in Western countries comes under greater pressure, with conservatives in the US expressing doubts about continued assistance and stalling the passage of a substantial aid package.

US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky(photo:instagram)

However, the US Senate leaders said on Tuesday that the package was not likely to move forward before the end of the year, reported Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, Zelensky has previously warned that such delays benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moreover, he added that Trump’s victory in the 2024 US elections could have “a very strong impact on the course of the war” if he pursued a policy towards Ukraine that was “more cold or more economical.”

Zelensky further emphasised that he was certain that the European Union (EU) would move forward with a 50-billion-euro (USD 55 billion) aid package of its own, despite opposition from Hungary, whose right-wing government has raised objections to further assistance for Ukraine, reported Al Jazeera.

“I’m confident that we have already achieved all this,” Zelensky said. “The question now is one of a certain matter of time.”

However, support for Ukraine has become a divisive issue in Western countries after a long-awaited counteroffensive over the summer failed to win back substantial territory and the war continued.

As Russia began invading Ukraine, it has been accused of including war crimes, devastated Ukrainian cities, displaced millions of people, and killed at least 10,000 civilians, the United Nations stated.

Moreover, the Ukrainian leader has stressed that he is weighing the possibility of mobilising an additional 500,000 troops, adding that he had asked the military for more details on this “very sensitive matter.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian President Putin said that Russia was open to negotiations with Ukraine, the US and Europe, but Russia “will not give up what is ours,” reported Al Jazeera.

“The West isn’t abandoning its strategy of containment of Russia and its aggressive goals in Ukraine,” Putin said. “Well, we also aren’t going to abandon the goals of the special military operation.” (ANI)

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Zelensky Seeks Continued Support During NATO Visit

Zelensky named air defence systems as one of his priorities….reports Asian Lite News

As the world’s attention shifted to Israel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels to ask Western countries to continue their aid to Ukraine.

“We spoke about priorities for Ukraine, for defending how to survive during this next winter,” Zelensky told reporters on Wednesday before attending a meeting with NATO defence ministers, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We need some support from the leaders. That is why I am here today,” he said, with the presence of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Zelensky named air defence systems as one of his priorities. “It is not just basic words. We need concrete things and we need them in very concrete geographic points on our land,” he added.

The NATO-Ukraine meeting secured more support for the country to face the winter conflicts. Stoltenberg said the alliance would provide more cold weather clothing, demining capabilities, fuel, and medical equipment “to help Ukraine weather another difficult winter”.

The new pledge was made when the clashes between Israel and Hamas were drawing the world’s attention. As of Wednesday, more than 2,000 people have been killed and thousands of others injured on both sides.

On Thursday, NATO defence ministers will discuss the situation in the Middle East, with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant set to join via videoconference.

Ukraine to spend 21.6% of GDP on defence

As Russia continues its war against Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree to spend at least 21.6 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 on national defence, local media reported on Tuesday.

The presidential decree, which put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defence Council, stipulates that Ukraine’s defense spending next year will reach no less than $46 billion, rpeorts Xinhua news agency citing local media.

The document instructed the government to prioritise the financing of the defense sector in the 2024 state draft budget based on the current military-political situation.

Ukraine’s 2023 budget envisages that it will spend about $31 billion,or 18.2 per cent of the GDP on defence.

ALSO READ: Ukraine to spend 21.6% of GDP on defence in 2024

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Zelensky blasts Arab leaders for turning ‘blind eye’ to Ukraine invasion

Of the Arab League nations, only Syria has openly supported Russia’s invasion, while others have sought to maintain good relations with Moscow….reports Asian Lite News

Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky who travelled to Jeddah to attend the 32nd Summit of the Arab League, has claimed that some of the regional bloc’s leaders have turned a “blind eye” to Russia’s ongoing war against Kiev.

While addressing the Summit on Friday, the President said that “there are people who turn a blind eye to captivity and illegal annexation, but no matter how strong Russian influence may be, it is important to remain independent”, reports Ukrayinska Pravda.

He said that even if there were people at the Summit who have different points of view concerning the war in Ukraine, with some calling it a “conflict”, “they can still unite for the sake of saving people from Russian captivity”.

Of the Arab League nations, only Syria has openly supported Russia’s invasion, while others have sought to maintain good relations with Moscow.

“I am sure that all your nations will understand this our main emotion and main call I want to leave here… A call to help protect our people, including the Ukrainian Muslim community.

“With me here, honourable Mustafa Dzhemilev, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, one of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine. Whose home is Crimea, the centre of Muslim culture in Ukraine,” he was quoted as saying

Zelensky stressed that Crimea was the first Ukrainian territory to be occupied by Russia, and it is mostly in the occupied peninsula that Muslims suffer from repression.

He also reminded the gathering about the role of Saudi Arabia in the liberation of the people captured by the Russians in the territory of Ukraine, adding that he believes this experience should be expanded.

Upon his arrival in Jeddah earlier on Friday, Zelensky was received by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

At the Summit, the Crown Prince renewed his offer for Riyadh to mediate between Moscow and Kiev to end the fighting.

The Ukrainian leader will travel from Saudi Arabia to the G7 summit on Sunday, Japan confirmed on Saturday morning, the BBC reported.

Officials said he will take part in the summit’s leaders’ session and take part in a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The trip to Japan will be the furthest Zelensky has travelled from Kiev since the war began in February 2022.

In the past few days Zelensky has visited Italy, Germany, France and the UK, where he nailed down promises of military support.

ALSO READ: Zelensky to join Japan G7 summit

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Zelensky to join Japan G7 summit

The announcement comes a day after the Japanese government said on Thursday that Zelensky will attend the three-day Summit online…reports Asian Lite News

Ukrainian government officials have confirmed that President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the ongoing G7 Leaders’ Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, in person, marking his first trip to Asia since Russia launched its full scale invasion in February 2022.

In a live TV address to the nation, Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, said: “Who would doubt that our President would be present there? We are confident that our President will be where he needs to be, anywhere in the world, to address the sustainability of our country.

“Very important things will be decided there, so the physical presence of our President is absolutely important in order to defend our interests, to provide clear proposals and clear arguments on the events that are taking place in our country.”

The announcement comes a day after the Japanese government said on Thursday that Zelensky will attend the three-day Summit online,reports Ukrayinska Pravda.

In his announcement, Danilov also stressed the importance of face-to-face meetings.

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“Because when a person is far away, across the ocean or somewhere else, they do not always feel and understand what is happening here in our country,” he added.

“It is the physical presence of our president that is extremely, extremely important at such events,” CNN quoted the top official as saying

G7 member countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US — include Ukraine’s largest backers.

As the Summit got underway, a joint statement of the G7 leaders said: “We are renewing our commitment to provide the financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support Ukraine requires for as long as it takes.

“We are imposing further sanctions and measures to increase the costs to Russia and those who are supporting its war effort. We are also building on the success of our efforts to ensure that Russia is no longer able to weaponise the availability of energy against the world.”

The statement also said that “Russian troops’ complete and unconditional withdrawal” is required for peace, reports the BBC.

The Summit’s main point of focus is the Ukraine war, and the US will also announce fresh sanctions against Russia, including a ban on 70 entities from receiving US exports, as well as 300 new mesures on other individuals or entities, aimed at crippling Moscow’s “war machine” in Kiev.

The UK has also announced new sanctions against Russia, targeting companies connected to the theft of Ukrainian grain and those involved in the shipment of Russian energy.

Meanwhile, Arab diplomats confirmed to CNN that Zelenksy will first stop at Jeddah to attend the Arab League’s 32nd Summit on Friday.

Although, there has been no official confirmation on this development from Ukraine.

Earlier this month, he visited France, Germany and the UK, where he secured defence aid packages worth millions of dollars.

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‘Operations to defend Bakhmut will continue’

Deputy Mayor Oleksandr Marchenko has said that Russia had not yet gained control of the city…reports Asian Lite News

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the operations to defend Bakhmut will continue, and the army has been instructed to find forces to bolster the defence of the embattled city.

“I told the Chief of Staff to find the appropriate forces to help the guys in Bakhmut. There is no part of Ukraine about which one can say that it can be abandoned,” Zelensky said on Monday during his evening address to the nation.

Moscow has been trying to take Bakhmut for months, as both sides suffer heavy losses in a grinding war of attrition. However, Deputy Mayor Oleksandr Marchenko has said that Russia had not yet gained control of the city.

Meanwhile Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private army involved in the Russian campaign, has complained of a lack of ammunition amid apparent friction between his fighters and regular Russian forces, the British news broadcaster reported. He also said that his representative had been barred from a Russian military headquarters.

Analysts say Bakhmut has little strategic value but has become a focal point for Russian commanders who have struggled to deliver any positive news to the Kremlin, the media outlet reported.

Capture of the city would bring Russia slightly closer to its goal of controlling the whole of Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine it annexed last September after referendums widely condemned outside Russia as a sham, it added.

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Zelensky to follow up on China’s peace proposals

President Volodymyr Zelensky is also planning to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, reports Asian Lite News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he plans to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to follow up on Beijing’s proposals on ending the ongoing war.

In a 12-point paper released by the Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Friday as the war marked a year, China said that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis,adding that it “will continue to play a constructive role in this regard”.

The paper called for a resumption of peace talks between the two warring sides, an end to unilateral sanctions, and stressed its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons.

“All parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible, so as to gradually de-escalate the situation and ultimately reach a comprehensive ceasefire,” it added.

In response, Zelenksy said that China’s proposal signalled that it was involved in the search for peace.

“I really want to believe that China will not supply weapons to Russia,” the BBC quoted the President as saying.

President Putin meets with Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Wang Yi. (Photo by Anton Novoderezhkin, TASS)

He liked the fact that China started talking about Ukraine, and considers this to be “very good”. But the question remained on what lies behind those words, what actions will follow them, reports Ukrayinska Pravda.

The President also positively reacted to the People’s Republic of China respecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

In general, according to the President, the fact that China’s so-called “peace plan” includes respect for international territorial law and “certain security things” already makes it possible to work with this country.

“Our task is to bring everyone together to isolate someone,” he added.

Meanwhile, Russia hailed the proposals, saying “we share Beijing’s views”.

Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Beijing was considering supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia – a claim strongly denied by Beijing. On Friday, American media again reported that the Chinese government was considering sending drones and artillery shells to Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits recaptured city of Izyum.(Photo: Instagram)

Asked about the Chinese plan, US President Joe Biden told ABC News on Friday: “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s applauding it, so how could it be any good?

“I’ve seen nothing in the plan that would indicate that there is something that would be beneficial to anyone other than Russia.”

The development comes following China’s Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi’s visit to Moscow, where he met President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday.

After the talks, Wang was quoted by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency as saying that Beijing was willing to “deepen political trust” and “strengthen strategic coordination” with Moscow.

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US NSA Sullivan meets Zelensky in Kiev

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met visiting US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan in Kiev to discuss further American support for the war-torn nation.

During their meeting on Friday, Zelensky and Sullivan talked about US assistance for Ukraine in the defence sector, and the ways to increase Kiev’s capabilities to protect critical infrastructure, reports Xinhua news agency citing a statement issued by the President’s office as saying.

They also discussed financial and humanitarian support for Ukraine and strengthening sanctions against Russia in the wake of Moscow’s ongoing war against Kiev, the statement said.

The President also presented the NSA with the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise of the II degree on “behalf of the entire Ukrainian people for strengthening interstate cooperation, supporting state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.

“I’m grateful to the Advisor for supporting our country in a difficult time for us,” Zelensky said in a social media post.

Earlier in the day, Sullivan met Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, and held a conversation via video call with Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny.

The NSA was briefed on the operational situation at the front and the key needs of the Ukrainian army, in particular regarding airspace protection.

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Russia preparing society for possible use of nukes: Zelensky

President Zelensky stressed that action against Russia threats was needed now, as it posed a “risk for the whole planet”, reports Asian Lite News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Russian officials have started “preparing the society” for the possible use of nuclear weapons, but also added that “they are not ready to do it”.

In an interview with the BBC at the President’s Office in Kiev, Zelensky said on Friday: “They begin to prepare their society. That’s very dangerous.

“They are not ready to do it, to use it. But they begin to communicate. They don’t know whether they’ll use or not use it. I think it’s dangerous to even speak about it.”

“What we see is that Russia’s people in power like life and thus I think the risk of using nuclear weapons is not that definite as some experts say, because they understand that there is no turning back after using it, not only the history of their country, but themselves as personalities.”

During the interview, the President also denied having called for strikes on Russia, claiming that an earlier remark had been “mistranslated”.

“After that translation, they (the Russians) did things their way, the way that’s useful to them, and began to retranslate it in other directions,” he told the BBC

“You must use preventive kicks,” Zelensky said, referring to sanctions, “not attacks”.

He further stressed that action against Russia threats was needed now, as it posed a “risk for the whole planet”.

Moscow, he claimed, had “made a step already” by occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest nuclear station which President Vladimir Putin is trying to turn into Russian property.

“The world can stop urgently the actions of Russian occupiers,” Zelensky told the BBC.

“The world can implement the sanction package in such cases and do everything to make them leave the nuclear power plant.”

Zelensky also said that Putin is not afraid of a possible nuclear strike but of his community, and his people.

“Because only those people are capable of replacing him now, to take away his power and give it to someone else,” he explained.

Asked whether Putin could survive in an eventual Ukrainian win in the war, the Ukrainian leader said: “I don’t care.”

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