Zelensky closes negotiations: 'Ready for counteroffensive'

"It is the peace that we will pass on to our children and grandchildren as a legacy of our generation. We do not have and do not want any other alternative. But to pass on peace as a legacy, we must arrive at the day when we can say that we have ended this war with our victory," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram today.

The commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhny published a video on Telegram that suggests the beginning of the counteroffensive: the video shows Ukrainian soldiers preparing for battle, reciting a prayer. "It's time to take back what is ours," Zaluzhny said. Meanwhile, the secretary of the National Security Council Oleksy Danilov, who is part of the war cabinet, told the BBC that Ukraine is ready to launch the counteroffensive and stressed that the Ukrainian government has "no right to make mistakes" on the decision because it is a "historic opportunity that cannot be missed".

"There is no force that can force Ukrainian society and the ruling leadership to talk to the Russians today, as long as Russian troops are on our territory," the head of Ukraine's presidential office Andry Yermak wrote on Telegram.

The Chinese government's special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, "at no time" said that Russia should be left with possession of the occupied territories of Ukraine. "He didn't say it and he didn't even hint at it," a senior European official informed about the details of the meeting told ANSA.

Diplomats in Warsaw, Berlin, Paris and Brussels do not confirm that Chinese Special Representative Li Hui has expressed a request to leave the occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said after the revelations of the Wall Street Journal. "I immediately contacted my colleagues in those capitals he visited, and none of them confirm that there were announcements or negotiations even on the recognition as Russia of those territories that Russia currently occupies in Ukraine," Kuleba said during a video broadcast, filmed by Unian.

The Atlantic Alliance - as ANSA learns - will most likely offer Kiev the creation of a NATO-Ukraine Council as a tool to strengthen political relations and support the multi-year military assistance plan under study. The Council, in fact, would allow Kiev to take a much more in-depth part of NATO's work than is possible with the current Commission. Some allies, especially in the eastern flank, are pushing for Ukraine to be offered a clear timetable for NATO entry at the Vilnius summit, but on this point, at the moment, there is no agreement among the 31.

Russia "is preparing a large-scale provocation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant with an accident simulation." This was reported by Ukrainian military intelligence, reports Ukrinform. "To this end, an attack will be carried out directly on the territory of the nuclear plant. Subsequently, an emergency leak of radioactive substances will be announced. Ukraine will as always be blamed for the incident," the GUR said, adding that the Russians' goal was to trigger "a detailed investigation during which all hostilities will be halted," so as to have time to "regroup."