Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv is seeking a new meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and European allies as early as next week, citing preparations by Russia for a new offensive in eastern Ukraine.
“[Russia] has concentrated up to 100,000 troops there,” Zelensky said Friday, referring to front lines near the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in southern Donetsk.
Pokrovsk, which had a population of 60,000 before the war, has been largely evacuated after being surrounded by Russian forces for months. Despite the siege, Ukrainian defenses have held the city.
Following Zelensky’s statement, regional authorities in Dnipropetrovsk reported a “massive attack”, with explosions heard in Dnipro and Pavlohrad. Authorities in Zaporizhzhia also confirmed attacks Saturday morning, with potential civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov praised Russia’s military campaign, despite years of heavy losses and economic damage. He highlighted deadly missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, which have killed thousands of civilians and drawn widespread international condemnation. Belousov claimed that 35 air strikes on 146 strategic targets this year caused significant damage to Ukraine’s military infrastructure.
Earlier this week, Ukraine mourned 22 casualties, including four children, in a single building destroyed by a Russian strike in Kyiv.
Zelensky emphasized that Ukrainian officials want to meet with Trump and European allies next week, as efforts for a ceasefire and war resolution—ongoing since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022—face obstacles.
Trump, who has made ending the war a top priority, expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for refusing direct talks with Zelensky. A week ago, Trump indicated he would decide on next steps within two weeks if direct talks were not arranged and raised the possibility of new sanctions against Moscow.
“It will not be a world war, but an economic war. An economic war will be bad for Russia, and I do not want that,” Trump said. He also noted, “Zelensky is not entirely blameless. I get along with him now, but our relationship is different because we are no longer paying Ukraine money,” referring to NATO members purchasing U.S. weapons for Kyiv.
Ukraine has accepted a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire and calls for a Putin-Zelensky meeting, but Moscow has not agreed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated on August 29 that Putin has not ruled out a meeting, but it can only occur after progress at the expert level.
