Zelenskyy accuses Putin of using 'lame excuse' to avoid peace negotiations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Photo/Reuters)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of deploying a "lame excuse" to avoid peace negotiations and prolong the ongoing war in Ukraine.

"Obviously, the Russians are not preparing to stop their war, at least for now," Zelenskyy said.

"Putin always finds some lame excuse – not to meet, not to hold a trilateral gathering, not to talk, not to end it, not to stop the killing."

Zelenskyy claimed that Moscow plans to allocate $12 billion next year towards manufacturing jet-powered drones and loitering munitions, warning that the Kremlin's strategic ambitions are not confined to Ukrainian territory.

Air defence metrics

Addressing battlefield threats, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine's interception rate for jet-powered Shahed drones currently stands at approximately 55 percent.

According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces launched more than 2,730 of these advanced drones in September alone, with Ukrainian defences shooting down or suppressing over 1,500.

He noted that Ukraine is actively upgrading its countermeasures, adding that the interception rate for conventional Shahed drones remains above 90 percent.

He noted that Kiev is coordinating closely with the United States, Europe, Canada, Japan, and other allies to intensify economic and diplomatic pressure to force an end to the war.

"In the coming days and throughout October, there will be a lot of diplomatic activity to change the situation," Zelenskyy added, stressing that newly passed US sanctions and multilateral enforcement mechanisms must be implemented in full.

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Source: TRT