Ukrainian President Zelenskyy faces limited options in negotiations with Russia and Western powers

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration has made efforts to portray the war with Russia as nearing a turning point. However, recent claims suggest that Ukraine may have gained more territory than Russia in February, although this assertion is disputed by some monitoring platforms.

The Ukrainian military has reported territorial gains of around 150-200 square kilometers per month. However, experts note that calculating these advances can be complex due to the presence of a grey zone along the frontline where control is unclear.

Russian troops have been besieging industrial cities in the north of the Donetsk region, extending the active front line by hundreds of kilometers. This has put additional pressure on Ukraine’s personnel shortages. The Ukrainian army has resorted to mandatory conscription to address these shortages, while Russia continues to attract volunteers with lavish compensation.

Ukrainian officials have claimed that Russia is suffering significant casualties, including 35,000 in March this year. However, the Ministry of Defence has reported higher monthly losses for Russia, citing an average rate of around 35,000 throughout 2025.

Kyrylo Budanov, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff and former military intelligence chief, has acknowledged that the collapse of Russia’s mobilization effort was not forthcoming. Ukraine has also been conducting a successful drone campaign to damage Russian oil facilities.

Despite these efforts, it is unclear whether they will have a significant impact on the war dynamics. In April, Russian oil revenues surged to $9 billion, largely due to the US-Israeli war on Iran. This windfall has helped Russia’s economy recover from losses sustained during the conflict.

It is worth noting that Russia’s GDP per capita exceeds that of some EU countries, while Ukraine’s is comparable to Mongolia and Egypt, according to IMF data.

Source: Al Jazeera