Ukraine’s battlefield success may turn peace talks upside down — military analyst

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

“First of all, I would like to note that the situation on the front line itself could be the key factor that fundamentally changes the negotiation process. These negotiations are developing rapidly, and if we achieve success on the battlefield, it will undoubtedly have an impact. That is why Ukraine must hold its ground, support the Armed Forces, and everyone must work towards strengthening the Ukrainian army,” Popovych stated.

The military observer also spoke about the most critical directions on the front line. According to him, heavy fighting is currently taking place in the Kurakhove and Kupiansk directions, as well as in Russia’s Kursk region.

“The most difficult situation today is in the Kurakhove direction. There, the enemy is trying to completely encircle our troops. The Defense Forces of Ukraine are engaged in rear-guard battles, and the main issue remains ensuring that our units do not get surrounded. There were reports that the situation there is extremely unfavorable in this regard. The situation in the Kupiansk direction also remains quite alarming, where the enemy has expanded its bridgehead on the western bank of the Oskil River. This poses a direct threat to Kupiansk. In the Kursk region, the enemy is also continuing assault actions to push our Armed Forces out of their positions,” Popovych reported.

U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia on February 18

On February 18, negotiations took place in the capital of Saudi Arabia between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The talks lasted nearly five hours.

After the negotiations, Marco Rubio stated that for the war in Ukraine to end, all parties must make concessions, but it would be wrong to define them in advance. According to him, the countries agreed to restore the staffing of their embassies in Washington and Moscow to establish “missions for supporting peace talks on Ukraine, bilateral relations, and broader cooperation.”

At the same time, Fox News journalist Jackie Heinrich reported that the United States and Russia are allegedly proposing a three-stage peace plan, which includes holding presidential elections in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the U.S.-Russia negotiations in Riyadh, which took place without Ukraine’s participation, stating that Kyiv will not accept Russian ultimatums.

U.S. President Donald Trump held a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, where he discussed the negotiations with Russia that took place in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia to avoid legitimizing the meeting between U.S. and Russian officials in Riyadh.