Mr. Zelensky’s message of ‘not backing down’ when inspecting the front line

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on December 12 went directly to the front line, which was less than 3 km from the position of Russian forces. He appeared in the hot spot of Kupyansk, a city in Kharkov province that Russia announced in late November that it controlled.

In the video filmed at the front line, the President of Ukraine deliberately showed his position clearly when standing next to the sign at the city gate and sent a tough message that Kupyansk had not fallen.

“Russians keep talking about Kupyansk, but in reality it is not so. I visited the soldiers and congratulated them. Thank you soldiers! I am proud of you!”, President Zelensky posted with a video on social network X.

The front-line inspection trip took place in the context of the Ukrainian National Guard saying its 2nd Khartiia corps had conducted a successful counterattack north of Kupyansk.

“Ukraine is defending its positions. The stronger the defense on the front line, the stronger our position at the negotiating table,” Mr. Zelensky wrote in the post. He emphasized that Ukraine is doing everything to end the war with honor and show respect for the soldiers, the nation and those who sacrificed their lives to protect the country.

“Ukraine must be respected,” he asserted.

This tough message comes as diplomatic efforts on a peace agreement are gaining momentum. US President Donald Trump said Ukraine was losing the war with Russia and wanted Mr. Zelensky to quickly reach an agreement, even if he had to accept some major concessions to Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last month predicted that Ukraine’s defense line was about to collapse, saying that Russia’s control of Kupyansk was a harbinger of further breakthroughs by its forces on the front line.

In recent negotiations between the parties, territory is considered the biggest sticking point where the parties have not been able to find common ground. Ukraine refuses to recognize any part of its territory as belonging to Russia, but could consider compromises such as establishing a demilitarized zone.

President Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine’s diplomatic leverage depends directly on whether it can maintain positions on the front lines or not.

“Achieving success on the front is very important for Ukraine to achieve diplomatic results. A strong domestic position will create a strong position at the negotiating table to end the war,” he said.

General Kyrylo Budanov, head of the General Directorate of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR), said in an interview on December 12 that Ukrainian forces are holding the line and “are far from losing the ability to repel Russian attacks.” This comment is in stark contrast to the gloomy picture presented by Ukraine’s negotiating partners.

“The front line is relatively stable and breaking through it is very difficult,” Mr. Budanov said, adding that neither side is currently capable of making a breakthrough. “The front line is changing flexibly, but with control. This is not good for us, but the front is not collapsing.”

Budanov admitted that Russian forces have learned from their mistakes and are advancing faster than in 2024. Russia has an advantage in numbers, recruiting an additional 403,000 contract recruits this year, surpassing the original plan for 2025.

He added that Russia is also taking advantage of the growing reserve resources to replenish its troops, while also offering many financial incentives to attract men to join the army. “Russia’s mobilized resources are still very large,” Budanov commented.

However, he affirmed that Ukraine still has enough defense capacity and is causing great damage to Russia. Although Ukraine’s military position has declined, its forces ensure that every Russian step, even the smallest, comes at a high price.

Ukraine says it still controls some areas in Kupyansk and Pokrovsk, and repels multiple Russian attacks every day.

Ukraine is facing many challenges in the war with Russia, mainly personnel issues. Maintaining the front line will be more difficult when units lack troops. Kiev said it needs more Western aid with interceptor missiles and air defense systems, as well as long-range missiles to attack deep into Russian-controlled territory.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said last week that Russia is trying to make the world believe that the battlefield situation is in their favor, while the situation on the ground is much more complicated and constantly changing.

“We assess that although the situation in some front-line areas is currently serious, saying that Russia will inevitably win in Ukraine does not accurately reflect the reality of the battlefield,” ISW wrote after Russia declared control of the city of Pokrovsk in Donbass.

President Zelensky said on December 11 that Kiev had sent Ukraine’s proposals on an agreement to end the conflict to Washington. This is the result of Mr. Zelensky’s series of intensive diplomatic activities after the US announced a controversial peace draft last month.

“When you talk to us about compromise, it must be a fair compromise,” he declared.