Ukrainian President Zelenskyy faces significant diplomatic challenges with Russia and West

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration has made efforts to portray a turning point in the Russia-Ukraine war, but claims of territorial gains are disputed among various monitoring platforms. According to official reports, Ukraine made more territorial gains than Russia in February, with some pro-Ukrainian platforms supporting these claims. However, others have raised concerns about the methodology used to calculate these advances.

The Ukrainian army has faced challenges in maintaining control over its territory, particularly along the northern border where Russian troops have been extending the active front line by hundreds of kilometers. This has put additional pressure on Ukraine’s personnel shortages, with the country resorting to conscription campaigns to address the issue.

Russian officials have claimed that they are suffering significant losses, including 35,000 casualties in March this year, according to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. However, his Ministry of Defence has reported a different number, stating that Russian monthly losses crossed 48,000 in January 2025, with an average monthly rate of roughly 35,000 throughout 2025.

Ukrainian officials have also acknowledged that Russia’s mobilisation effort is not collapsing as expected. Kyrylo Budanov, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff and former military intelligence chief, has stated that the collapse of the Russian mobilisation effort was not forthcoming in a recent interview.

Despite Ukraine’s successful drone campaign to damage Russian oil facilities, it is unclear whether this will have a significant impact on the war. In April, Russian oil revenues surged to $9bn, largely due to the US-Israel war on Iran. The windfall Russia received in a month is equivalent to 10 percent of the loan Ukraine is set to receive from the European Union over the next two years.

It is worth noting that Russia has sustained significant economic losses due to the war, and President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged this. However, the Russian economy displays similar downturns as other European economies affected by wars in Ukraine and Iran. According to IMF charts, Russia’s GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power parity currently exceeds that of less affluent EU countries such as Romania and Greece.

Source: Al Jazeera