KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Tuesday that Russia has deployed more than 50,000 troops, including elite forces, along the northeastern border near the Sumy region, raising alarms over a possible large-scale summer offensive.
Zelenskiy told reporters that Russian forces have been concentrating heavily in the Kursk region, across the border from Sumy, an area where Ukrainian troops previously held ground before being largely forced out last month. Despite territorial losses, Ukraine maintains limited positions there.
“Their largest, strongest forces are currently on the Kursk front,” Zelenskiy said. “To push our troops out of the Kursk region and to prepare offensive actions against the Sumy region.”
The Ukrainian president warned that Russia appears to be attempting to carve out a 10-kilometer-deep buffer zone inside Ukrainian territory, a move long signaled by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In recent weeks, Russia has seized at least four border villages in the region and continues to make incremental gains near Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine. However, Zelenskiy noted that Ukrainian forces recently pushed back Russian troops by approximately four kilometers in that sector.
negotiations between the two countries. Kyiv has yet to receive Moscow’s proposed terms for advancing the peace process. Despite the impasse, Zelenskiy said his government is prepared for talks in any format and expressed willingness to participate in a three-way meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I don’t want the United States to leave the peace process,” Zelenskiy emphasized, referencing Washington’s warnings that it could disengage from diplomatic efforts if no progress is made.
Following a recent prisoner exchange that saw 1,000 captives swapped on each side, Zelenskiy identified Turkey, Switzerland, and the Vatican as viable hosts for future negotiations. Malta and several African nations have also expressed interest, he said. However, Moscow’s preference for Belarus as a venue was flatly rejected by Kyiv, citing the country’s complicity in Russia’s initial 2022 invasion.
On domestic defense efforts, Zelenskiy said Ukraine is seeking $30 billion in funding this year to fully scale its rapidly growing arms industry. The funds are intended to ensure full utilization of the country’s current production capacity.
The Ukrainian leader also confirmed he will attend the upcoming G7 summit, having received a personal invitation from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose country currently holds the bloc’s rotating presidency. He added that he is likely to participate in the next European Union summit as well.
As Russia escalates its military posture near Ukraine’s northern front, Kyiv continues to navigate a complex web of military defense, international diplomacy, and ongoing negotiations to fend off renewed aggression.
