President Zelenskyy: Only Russia wants this war

“Everyone in the world has declared that there must be a ceasefire. Everyone has insisted that the war must end,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a traditional address to the Ukrainian nation on Aug. 31.

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

A brief update for today. There were reports from the military on the situation at the front. First and foremost, about the Donetsk direction – Pokrovsk and other key sectors. We are holding our positions, and what matters most is that this is active defense – we are destroying the occupier every single day. I thank each of our units for their resilience and precision. We are also working to ensure that our army is fully supplied with everything necessary for the autumn. There will be meetings, engagement with our partners – we are planning a very active diplomatic week.

Two weeks ago in Washington, it was stated that by this time the Russians should be ready for real negotiations – a meeting at the leaders’ level. Ukraine is definitely ready for this. But the only thing Russia is doing is investing further in war. All their signals point to that. Now, during his visit to China, Putin will once again try to wriggle out. That is his number one sport.

Full text of the address: Office of the President of Ukraine