British News Agency

Zelensky stated that power plants, electricity grids, heating infrastructure, water supply facilities and civilian logistics hubs in Ukraine are constantly being targeted by drones and missiles. He said Russia had not changed its aggressive behavior and had rejected de-escalation measures raised by Ukraine's partners. "The Russians are not changing the nature of their aggressive actions. They have refused to take the de-escalation steps our partners have spoken about and are counting on new attacks. We have also determined our responses," Zelensky said.

Noting that the humanitarian operation in Oleshky demonstrated that hostilities could cease if the war ended, Zelensky said, "If Putin decides to stop the war, the guns can fall silent. Ukraine does not need to be convinced that peace must be achieved as soon as possible. Russia is the party that must decide that the time for war is over."

Zelensky argued that long-range strikes, medium-range operations and pressure exerted on Russia by Ukraine's partners provide an incentive for genuine negotiations. "The necessary incentive for real negotiations comes from our long-range sanctions, our medium-range strikes and the pressure our partners are applying to Russia," he said.