President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated on June 1 that Ukraine is preparing new diplomatic steps together with its partners in Europe and, importantly, the United States. He made this announcement in a video address posted on social media.
According to Zelensky, there is currently no clear information on what Russia plans to bring to the table in Istanbul. Neither Ukraine, nor Turkey, nor the United States, nor other partners have any specifics. The president emphasized that, so far, Russia’s actions do not look serious.
Zelensky noted that he discussed the matter with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He stressed that the whole world wants diplomacy to work, a real ceasefire to happen, and Russia to stop manipulating diplomacy and end the war.
He expressed gratitude to Ukrainian soldiers for their resilience and effectiveness. He highlighted the actions of assault regiments operating in the Kursk region – the 33rd, 225th, and 425th – as well as the 103rd Territorial Defense Brigade. On the Pokrovsk front, the 1st Assault Regiment stood out, while the 100th Separate Mechanized Brigade showed good results on the Toretsk front, along with the 82nd Separate Air Assault “Bukovyna” Brigade.
The president said the frontline situation remains difficult, particularly on the Pokrovsk, Lyman, and Kupyansk axes. Ukraine continues its so-called “Kursk operation,” which keeps a large number of Russian troops occupied and away from active operations inside Ukraine.
Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is working actively to strengthen its defense capability, with ongoing agreements with partners on weapons, financing, training, and production. He thanked Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom for their significant support.
Next week, Ukraine plans to reach new agreements with the Baltic and Northern European countries. Preparations are also underway for the G7 and NATO summits. In parallel, Ukraine is working with all partners who can help increase sanctions pressure on Russia.
“Ukraine will not just wait for Russia to mature enough to end the war. We are doing everything to force it to peace,” Zelensky concluded.