Zelensky's Surprise Visit to Recaptured City... Putin's War Resolve Seems Unchanged (Summary)

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to Izium in the northeastern Kharkiv region, which was recently recaptured after being occupied by Russia. Although the tide of the war is turning in favor of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin's determination to continue the war remains unchanged.

According to CNN and The Guardian on the 14th (local time), President Zelensky visited Izium that day. Regarding the local situation, he said, "It may look like a very shocking sight, but it is not surprising to me," adding, "I have already seen the same situation in places like Bucha, which were occupied by Russia, where buildings were destroyed and people died."

Izium, a transportation hub, is considered a crucial gateway that must be secured to reclaim Donbas, encompassing the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Ukrainian military recently launched a counteroffensive in Kharkiv, recapturing strategic points such as Barakliya and Kupiansk, and then Izium, effectively forcing Russian troops to withdraw from Kharkiv. Izium suffered extensive damage from shelling and missile attacks, destroying military facilities and residential areas.

President Zelensky said, "Our blue and yellow flag is flying in Izium. It will be the same in every city and village in Ukraine," adding, "We are moving in only one direction, toward victory." He described Russia's eight-year occupation of the Crimean Peninsula as a "terrible tragedy" and added, "I don't know when, but we will return there."

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia [Image source=Yonhap News]

Although some have pointed out that the options left for President Putin are limited following Russia's retreat from the Kharkiv region, his determination to continue the war does not appear to have wavered.

United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres said after a call with President Putin that "the end of the war is still far off. A ceasefire is not yet in sight," adding, "If I said otherwise, it would be a lie." He discussed several issues with Putin, including grain trade and Russian exports, but no results were achieved, warning, "There is likely to be a food shortage crisis by the end of this year."

Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke with Putin by phone the previous day, said, "Unfortunately, I cannot say that President Putin realizes that starting the war was a mistake," and assessed, "There are no signs that his attitude has changed." Scholz urged Russia to withdraw its troops and emphasized, "We need to have dialogue."

On the same day, a foreign media outlet reported, citing multiple sources, that before the war broke out, Dmitry Kozak, the Russian ambassador to Ukraine, proposed a peace agreement, but President Putin rejected it and pushed forward with military action. This is an example demonstrating Putin's determination to continue the war.

President Putin is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Uzbekistan on the 15th. The two leaders have described their bilateral relationship as "limitless" whenever they have had the opportunity to meet. However, experts predict that even if Putin requests military support from President Xi during this meeting, it is unlikely that China will take action.

Elizabeth Wishnick, senior researcher at the U.S. Navy's Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), said, "Chinese government officials often talk about an unlimited partnership, but Russia and China have never agreed on many issues," adding, "Considering the sanctions and international condemnation that would follow, I do not think the Chinese military will assist Russia. This also contradicts China's criticism of Western support for Ukrainian forces as prolonging the war."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.