Vladimir Putin’s regime is trying to “create a North and South Korea in Ukraine” after failing to takeover the whole country, the head of the Ukrainian millitary intelligence said.
Kyrylo Budanov said Russia was preparing to seize the eastern part of Ukraine after Moscow officials hinted they would focus on “liberating” the Donbas region, where separatists have been fighting the Kyiv government for the past eight years.
Volodymyr Zelensky called for compromise over the Donbas as in-person peace talks were set to resume on Monday in Turkey.
The Ukrainian president said he was prepared to discuss adopting a neutral status as part of a peace deal with Russia but it would have to be guaranteed by third parties and put to a referendum.
“Security guarantees and neutrality, non-nuclear status of our state. We are ready to go for it. This is the most important point,” Mr Zelensky said to Russian journalists in a video call.
