Day 702 of the Invasion of Ukraine: No, Putin Did Not Signal Readiness For Negotiations

Day 702 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• The Ukrainian Armed Forces advance near Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region
• Andriy Yermak and Sullivan discussed the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine and aid to Kyiv
• The Kremlin denied Bloomberg's information that Putin could withdraw main conditions for Ukraine
• NATO has called for more aid to Ukraine and welcomed progress on Sweden's admission to the alliance

The Ukrainian Armed Forces advance near Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region

The fighters from the Ukrainian Armed Forces (VSU) have achieved success in the Zaporizhzhia region near the village of Verbove.

The progress of the Ukrainian defenders was reported by DeepState analysts on Telegram.

"The Defense Forces of Ukraine have advanced west of Verbove," the statement said.

According to analysts, fighting continues east of Terniv, and the contact line is being refined.

The mayor of Melitopol, still occupied by the Russians, Ivan Fedorov, referring to the analysts' map, also wrote in his messenger channel about the achievements of the VSU in the Zaporizhzhia region and reported successfully repulsed enemy attacks.

"On the Zaporizhzhia direction, the Ukrainian defense forces have advanced west of Verbove. Also, the Ukrainian defenders repelled three enemy attacks southeast of Robotyne," he noted.

On Thursday, January 25, it was reported that Ukrainian defenders were advancing in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. Later, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that they did not have facts that could confirm the success of the Ukrainian forces.

In general, the Ukrainian defense holds the line of fire contact with the Russians in the various directions of the front. By now, Russia has already lost a colossal amount of personnel and equipment in Ukraine. The total losses of the Russian Federation as of January 26, 2024 are about 380,600 fighters, according to the General Staff in Kyiv.

Andriy Yermak and Sullivan discussed the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine and aid to Kyiv

The head of the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - Andriy Yermak, and US President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan discussed the situation on the battlefield and the issue of further support for Ukraine by phone, Ukrinform reported.

"As part of the ongoing dialogue with the allies, the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a telephone conversation with the National Security Adviser of the President of the United States, Jake Sullivan," the office of the Ukrainian President announced. The two discussed the situation on the battlefield and the recent Russian missile strikes.

In addition, they have paid special attention to the issue of the adoption of decisions by the US Congress on the aid package that Ukraine needs.

"Andriy Yermak and Jake Sullivan also discussed the results of the fourth meeting of the National Security Advisors and Political Advisors on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, which was held in Davos, and discussed preparations for the Global Peace Summit," the report said.

Yermak thanked the US President, his administration, both houses of Congress and the American public for their firm support for Ukraine in the fight against the Russian aggressor.

The US administration is working with Congress to ensure that Ukraine receives the necessary assistance to counter Russian aggression, and hopes that congressmen will reach an agreement on this matter next week, Ukrinform notes.

The Kremlin denied Bloomberg's information that Putin could withdraw main conditions for Ukraine

The Kremlin today denied information from Bloomberg that Russian President Vladimir Putin will "signal" the United States about his readiness for possible negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, considering withdrawing the main conditions he imposed on Kyiv in the field of security, reported Reuters.

The US media said that Putin was "feeling the ground" about whether Washington was ready to engage in peace talks and to reach out to the US in roundabout ways. Bloomberg cited two people close to the Kremlin who said the Russian president “may want to consider abandoning his insistence on Ukraine's neutral state status and even ending opposition to possible accession to NATO, the threat of which was the main Russian justification for the invasion of the neighboring country.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked by journalists about these claims, and specifically, whether Moscow was ready to abandon its condition for Ukraine's neutrality relating to its NATO membership.

"No, this is false information. It does not correspond to reality at all," said President Putin's press secretary.

NATO has called for more aid to Ukraine and welcomed progress on Sweden's admission to the alliance

Allies from NATO and the EU must provide additional financial support for Ukraine, called today the secretary general of the pact, Jens Stoltenberg. If Russian President Vladimir Putin wins in Ukraine, there is a real danger that he will resort to the use of force again, he added at a joint press conference with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

Sweden's admission to NATO will strengthen the alliance further, I welcome the decision of the Turkish parliament to ratify the country's accession to the pact. I thank President Recep Erdogan for quickly signing the decision, Stoltenberg added.

He welcomed the clear expression of support received from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his government for approving Swedish membership. I expect Hungary to ratify the document as soon as the Parliament resumes its work in Budapest, added the Secretary-General. He specified that he spoke with Orban this week and received assurances that the Hungarian prime minister supports Sweden joining the alliance. I understand that the Hungarian parliament will meet at the end of February, explained Stoltenberg. I count on Hungary that ratification will take place immediately after the resumption of meetings, he said.

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