President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo IT

“Just this week, Russia launched over 1,260 aerial bombs, nearly 750 attack drones, and more than 10 different types of missiles against us. Russia’s military production, which enables these attacks, relies on three main factors: programs that evade sanctions—without which Russia would lack critical components for weapon production; high oil prices, which need to be reduced; and our insufficient stock of long-range missiles and drones,” Zelensky stated on February 9th.

He expressed gratitude to partner nations that are intensifying sanctions against Russia and urged them to escalate these efforts even further.

“There needs to be more global efforts to diminish the capabilities of the Russian oil industry. We will continue to expand our missile and drone production, and we urge all partners to invest in Ukraine’s defense industry, as this is an investment in preserving lives,” the Ukrainian leader emphasized.

Meanwhile, on the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed that Washington is making progress in negotiations to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

However, Trump declined to provide details about any communications he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump acknowledged having contacted his Russian counterpart. This marks the first official conversation between President Putin and a U.S. president since the beginning of 2022, when Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine.

“I expect to have more conversations. We need to end this conflict. I believe we are making progress. We want to resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The U.S. has been in contact with both Russia and Ukraine,” Trump remarked.

For his part, President Zelensky stated that he is willing to negotiate with President Putin, provided that the U.S. and EU guarantee Ukraine’s security.