Zelenskyy visits frontline Ukrainian city weeks after Russia claimed it took control

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the frontline metropolis of Kupiansk connected Friday, conscionable weeks aft Russia claimed its forces had taken control.

In a video posted to X, Zelenskyy is seen wearing a flak overgarment and speaking successful beforehand of a heavy damaged motion successful Cyrillic that says "Kupiansk."

"Today, I americium successful the Kupiansk sector, with our warriors who are getting the occupation done for Ukraine here," helium said. "The Russians kept going connected astir Kupiansk – the world speaks for itself. I visited our troops and congratulated them."

Russian authorities media outlet TASS reported successful November that Russian forces had "liberated" the metropolis of Kupiansk successful Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, citing a briefing from Valery Gerasimov, main of the wide unit of Russia's equipped forces, to President Vladimir Putin.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy records a video successful beforehand of a motion speechmaking "Kupiansk" successful the frontline municipality successful Kharkiv portion connected Dec. 12, 2025. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)

Zelenskyy’s sojourn comes arsenic helium and his negotiating squad hole for a caller circular of talks Sunday successful Berlin with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to sermon information guarantees for Ukraine.

He is besides expected to clasp talks with European leaders connected a broader governmental statement to extremity the warfare and unafraid semipermanent information for Ukraine, arsenic good arsenic plans to enactment the country’s postwar betterment and development.

"We are focusing connected however to reliably warrant Ukraine’s information truthful that the acquisition of the Budapest Memorandum and Russia’s penetration are ne'er repeated. We are counting connected constructive talks," said Zelenskyy connected X.

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Ukrainian soldiers transportation the coffin of fallen comrade Roman Kolodiy, Taras Sovhan, oregon Roman Kashuba during a ceremonial ceremonial connected Jan. 4, 2025, successful Lviv, Ukraine. (Michael Sorrow/Anadolu via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added that immoderate sustainable ceasefire successful Ukraine indispensable see steadfast guarantees and support European information interests, informing that bid cannot beryllium reached astatine the disbursal of the EU oregon NATO oregon without their participation.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte echoed those concerns past week, informing members of the transatlantic confederation that they could beryllium Russia’s adjacent target.

Rutte, speaking astatine the Bavarian State Representation during a Munich Security Conference lawsuit successful Germany, told attendees that raising defence spending wasn't a infinitesimal for self-congratulation portion Russia continues its large-scale attacks connected Ukraine.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte clasp a property league astatine the Chancellery successful Berlin connected Dec. 11, 2025. (Liesa Johannssen/Reuters)

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"I fearfulness that excessively galore are softly complacent. Too galore don't consciousness the urgency. And excessively galore judge that clip is connected our side. It is not. The clip for enactment is now," helium said.

The NATO main urged allies to boost defence spending and production, saying their equipped forces indispensable person the resources needed to support their homelands, and cautioning that Moscow could beryllium acceptable to usage subject unit against NATO wrong 5 years.