Ukrainians Gain Ground Ahead of Neutrality Talks
Ahead of talks where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country is prepared to declare its neutrality, as Moscow has demanded, Ukrainian forces claimed to have retaken a Kyiv suburb and an eastern town from the Russians in what is becoming a back-and-forth stalemate on the ground.
Negotiators began assembling in Turkey for another round of talks Tuesday aimed at ending Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, now in its fifth week. Late last week, with its forces bogged down in various parts of the country, Russia seemed to scale back on its endgame for the invasion, saying now its main goal was gaining control of the Donbas, the contested region in the country’s east. Zelenskyy has indicated he’s open to compromise on the fate of the Donbas.
On Friday, U.S. defense officials said the Russians were no longer in full control of Kherson, the first major city to fall to Moscow’s forces. However, the Kremlin denied it had lost full control of the southern city.
Thank you to @Acosta for having me back yesterday. Ukraine is in fact an independent sovereign state violated daily on its territory and skies by an army of international terrorists. Thank you all for helping Zelensky continue to spread his message. pic.twitter.com/45yLMtTYHW
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) March 28, 2022
Earlier talks, both by video and in person, have failed to make progress on ending the more than month-old war that has killed thousands and driven more than 10 million Ukrainians from their homes. That includes almost 4 million who have fled the country. The Istanbul talks come just as The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released a new poll showing that Russia’s invasion has most Americans at least somewhat worried that the U.S. will be drawn directly into the conflict and could be targeted with nuclear weapons.
Discussed with @JustinTrudeau 🇺🇦🇨🇦 cooperation in the fields of defense and sanctions pressure on Russia. Informed about the crimes of Russia and the course of the negotiation process. I’m grateful for the willingness to consider additional macro-financial assistance for Ukraine.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 28, 2022
Americans might be worried about nuclear war, but not enough for some social media users who aired their frustration that Zelenskyy’s appeals to the world aren’t getting seen nearly as much as viral moments like Will Smith and Chris Rock at Sunday night’s Oscars.
Video #1: Released 4 days ago. Zelenskyy asks for people across the free world to pour out into the streets.
**600,000 views**
Video #2: Released 90 minutes ago. Will Smith punches Chris Rock.
**17,300,000 views** (so far)
This is why we’re in trouble. pic.twitter.com/Qv3OufNBiQ
— Nick Knudsen 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@NickKnudsenUS) March 28, 2022
