Zelensky is considering accepting peacekeeping forces.

Following his meeting with Donald Trump in Paris on December 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would call his American counterpart Joe Biden to discuss the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO and accepting peacekeeping forces.

Russian infantry in Ukraine

Photo: Russian Ministry of Defence

Russia attacks Ukrainian railway and military infrastructure.

On December 9, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces had attacked railway facilities and military infrastructure used for transporting equipment supplied by the West to the Ukrainian army.

"Tactical aviation units, armed drones, missile and artillery units of Russian armed forces groups attacked military airfield infrastructure, railways transporting Western equipment to the Ukrainian army, UAV assembly sites and warehouses, as well as a fuel depot," Sputnik News quoted the report as saying.

Russia claims that it shelled 147 Ukrainian troop and equipment staging areas within 24 hours.

The conflict map looks less optimistic for Ukraine as Russia accelerates its offensive.

The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced that it shot down 10 missiles fired by Ukraine from the US-made HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Missile System) and 36 fixed-wing UAVs.

In total, the Russian side reported that the enemy suffered approximately 1,500 casualties across all fronts that day.

The accuracy of the figures released by Russia cannot be verified, and Ukraine has not commented on the information. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force stated that on December 9, Russia launched two Kh-59/69 cruise missiles and 37 UAVs towards targets in Ukrainian territory.

Of the 37 UAVs, the Ukrainian Air Force shot down 18, and 18 "went missing". Both Russian missiles were intercepted.

Also on December 9, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted President Zelensky as saying that there were nearly 800,000 Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Moscow has not commented on this information.

President Zelensky met with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz in Kyiv on December 9.

Prospects for peace talks in Ukraine

Following his meeting with Donald Trump in Paris on December 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would call his American counterpart Joe Biden to discuss the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO.

"I will call President Biden in the near future…and bring up the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO. He is currently the President of the United States, and many issues depend on his role. It makes no sense to discuss this with Mr. Trump while he is not yet in the White House," Zelensky wrote on Telegram on December 9.

Zelensky said Ukraine is ready for a diplomatic solution with Russia.

On the same day, he also said that Ukraine "would probably consider" French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to deploy peacekeeping forces in the country. However, that prospect could only be realized after the Kyiv authorities have a clear timeline for Kyiv's accession to NATO.

The Ukrainian president raised the possibility after a meeting in Kyiv with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, who is running for the German chancellorship.

Merz was also a supporter of Berlin providing Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles.

The risk of pressure from Mr. Trump.

At a press conference in Kyiv, the Ukrainian president also mentioned the possibility of a diplomatic settlement aimed at ending hostilities.

"More than anyone else, Ukraine is the party that most wants the conflict to end. A diplomatic solution could undoubtedly save many more lives. We are exploring this possibility," Reuters quoted Zelensky as saying.

Zelensky said that during his meetings with President Macron and President Trump, they discussed a scenario of "freezing" the current front lines and moving towards peace talks. However, the most important thing now is for Ukraine to improve its capabilities to gain an advantage if it negotiates with Russia.

These messages from Ukrainian leaders were delivered amid escalating fighting in Ukraine ahead of Trump's inauguration.

The Ukrainian president met with Donald Trump in Paris on December 7.

The US president-elect has repeatedly reiterated his desire to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict as quickly as possible, raising concerns that he may force Kyiv to reach an agreement on terms dictated by Russia, according to The Kyiv Independent . Trump also told Zelensky that the US might reduce military aid to Kyiv next year.

On the same day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin expressed hope that Trump's team would become familiar with Russia's position on Ukraine, specifically the initiative launched by President Putin in June in an effort to resolve the Ukrainian crisis in the long term, TASS reported.

Some of the contents of the initiative include the withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from the Donbass and Novorossiya regions, Kyiv not joining NATO, the lifting of all Western sanctions against Russia, and Ukraine's commitment to maintaining its non-aligned and denuclearized status.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chien-su-ukraine-ngay-1020-ong-zelensky-can-nhac-chap-nhan-luc-luong-gin-giu-hoa-binh-185241209204747561.htm