Ukraine's Zelenskyy again asks for peace talks

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has appealed to Russia once more to negotiate a cease-fire but has stated that Ukraine will not agree to give up any of its lands in exchange for peace. Zelenskyy appeared to be replying to Col. Gen Sergei Rudskoi, deputy chief of the Russian general staff, who said Russian forces would now focus on "the major goal, the liberation of Donbas," in his nightly video message to the nation on Friday.

Since 2014, Russian-backed rebels have held a portion of eastern Ukraine's Donbas area, and Russian forces have been fighting to wrest control of the region from Ukraine, including the besieged city of Mariupol.

Rudskoi's remarks also hinted that Russia may be retreating from its offensive in Kyiv and other large cities where it has faltered. According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces have lost thousands of troops but have yet to capture Kyiv or Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.