Ukraine Claims Battlefield Gains Ahead Of Zelenskyy's Crucial White House Visit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed battlefield gains on its eastern front against Russian forces as both sides sought military advantages ahead of Zelenskyy’s planned August 18 White House meeting with President Donald Trump.

It comes after Trump on August 16 dropped his demand for an immediate cease-fire in the war and said the sides should instead negotiate toward a full peace agreement, in a major shift from his long-stated policy and in apparent opposition to the desires of Kyiv and its European allies for a quick truce.

The Ukrainian military on August 16 said it had driven Russian forces back about 2 kilometers along parts of the front lines near the major northeastern city of Sumy, site of a recent offensive by Kremlin troops seeking to capture more territory against the outgunned and outmanned Ukrainians.

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"Ukrainian soldiers continue active combat actions to destroy the enemy and liberate our settlements," Ukraine’s General Staff wrote on Telegram. "The advance of Ukrainian units ranges from 1 to 2.5 kilometers."

Battlefield claims could not immediately be confirmed.

Zelenskyy has said he expected no letup in Russia's offensive as the Kremlin also seeks to gain advantage amid a flurry of global diplomatic activity aimed at ending the all-out war that begin with Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

"We predict the Russian army may try to increase pressure and strikes against Ukrainian positions in the coming days in order to create more favorable political circumstances for talks with global actors," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

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Even as Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Alaska on August 15 to meet with Trump in a summit held under "Pursuing Peace" banners, the Kremlin kept up its air campaign against Ukrainian cities.

Trump's face-to-face summit with Putin -- which helped to ease the Kremlin leader's international isolation -- did little to calm the fears in Kyiv and EU capitals over a potential agreement between the two that could endanger Ukraine's security or sovereignty or encourage Russian aggression.

The summit ended without an agreement on a cease-fire and with neither leader taking questions from reporters during a brief news conference.

The following day, Trump said Kyiv should strike a deal with Moscow to end the war because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not."

Multiple news organizations quoted unnamed sources as saying Trump told Zelenskyy that Putin had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded to Russia all of its Donetsk region.

Zelenskyy has long rejected ceding any sovereign territory -- a view shared by much of Kyiv's European allies.

Trump -- in apparent agreement with Putin -- dropped demands for an immediate cease-fire and said a peace deal should be sought without the need for a prior truce. Until now, Trump -- along with Kyiv and its European allies -- has called for a cease-fire, with Trump even threatening Russia with new sanctions and tariffs if it did not immediately agree to one.

"It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere cease-fire agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

"President Zelenskyy will be coming to DC, the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin," Trump wrote.

Ukraine and European leaders have said Putin's strategy of favoring longer negotiations toward a full peace agreement and refusing an immediate cease-fire allows the Russian leader to buy time and press his advantage on the battlefield.

The leaders of Britain, France, and Germany are set to host a video call on August 17 for what they have called the "coalition of the willing" to discuss steps toward ending the Ukraine war.