Putin claims Moscow ready for Ukraine talks as attacks go on

they are americans, United States, cities and communities, all those who value freedom and justice who cherish it as strongly as we Ukrainians. You know our cities in each and every family. I hope my words of respect and gratitude resonate in each american heart. It's *** great honor for me to be at the U. S. Congress and speak to you and all americans against against all odds and doom and gloom scenarios. Ukraine didn't fall. Ukraine is alive and kicking. We defeated Russia in the battle for minds of the world. We have no fear nor should anyone in the world have it. Ukraine's gained this victory and it gives us courage which inspires the entire world. Europeans gained this victory and that's why europe is now stronger and more independent than never. The Russian tyranny has lost control over us. I know one more I think very important thing. The Russians will stand *** chance to be free only when they defeat the Kremlin in their minds. Our two nations are allies in this battle and next year will be *** turning point. I know it the point when Ukrainian courage and american resolve must guarantee the future of our common freedom, the freedom of people who stand for their values and international law. The occupiers have *** significant advantage in artillery. They have an advantage in ammunition. They have much more missiles and planus then we ever had as its true but our defense forces stand, Ukraine. Ukraine holds its lines and will never surrender

Related video above: Zelenskyy: Ukraine "will never surrender"President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia is ready for talks to end the war in Ukraine even as the country faced more attacks from Moscow — a clear sign that peace wasn't imminent.Putin said in a state television interview, excerpts of which were released on Sunday afternoon that Russia is "prepared to negotiate some acceptable outcomes with all the participants of this process."He said that "it's not us who refuse talks, it's them" — something the Kremlin has repeatedly stated in recent months as its 10-month old invasion kept losing momentum.Putin also repeated that Moscow has "no other choice" and said he believed the Kremlin was "acting in the right direction." "We're defending our national interests, the interests of our citizens, our people," he said.Putin's remarks come as attacks on Ukraine continue. A country-wide air raid alert was announced twice on Sunday alone, and three missiles in the afternoon hit the city of Kramatorsk in the partially occupied Donetsk region, local officials reported.The missiles hit an industrial area of the city, and there weren't any casualties, according to the Ukrainian governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko. Kyrylenko said that the city of Avdiivka was also attacked on Sunday with six rounds of shelling, and a woman was wounded there.Elsewhere in the front-line region, around the city of Bakhmut, where fierce battles have been underway in recent weeks, the Russian forces were struggling to keep up the pace of their offensive, a U.S.-based think tank reported this weekend."Russian forces' rate of advance in the Bakhmut area has likely slowed in recent days, although it is too early to assess whether the Russian offensive to capture Bakhmut has culminated," the Institute for the Study of War wrote in its recent update.The think tank cited Russian military bloggers, who it said have recently acknowledged "that Ukrainian forces in the Bakhmut area have managed to slightly slow down the pace of the Russian advance around Bakhmut and its surrounding settlements." Sources on Ukrainian social media "previously claimed that Ukrainian forces completely pushed Russian forces out of the eastern outskirts of Bakhmut" around Dec. 21, the report added."Russian forces will likely struggle to maintain the pace of their offensive operations in the Bakhmut area and may seek to initiate a tactical or operational pause," the institute concluded.A day before, a deadly Russian attack on the southern city of Kherson, retaken by Ukrainian forces last month, killed and wounded scores of people.The Russian forces shelled Ukrainian-held areas of the partially occupied Kherson region 71 times over the past 24 hours, including 41 attacks on the city of Kherson, the region's Ukrainian governor Yaroslav Yanushevich reported on Sunday.A total of 16 people have been killed, according to the official, including three emergency workers killed in the process of demining the Berislav district of the region. Yanushevich said that 64 more have been wounded.In the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region, the city of Nikopol was shelled overnight from heavy artillery, Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said. No casualties have been reported.

Related video above: Zelenskyy: Ukraine "will never surrender"

President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia is ready for talks to end the war in Ukraine even as the country faced more attacks from Moscow — a clear sign that peace wasn't imminent.

Putin said in a state television interview, excerpts of which were released on Sunday afternoon that Russia is "prepared to negotiate some acceptable outcomes with all the participants of this process."

He said that "it's not us who refuse talks, it's them" — something the Kremlin has repeatedly stated in recent months as its 10-month old invasion kept losing momentum.

Putin also repeated that Moscow has "no other choice" and said he believed the Kremlin was "acting in the right direction."

"We're defending our national interests, the interests of our citizens, our people," he said.

Putin's remarks come as attacks on Ukraine continue. A country-wide air raid alert was announced twice on Sunday alone, and three missiles in the afternoon hit the city of Kramatorsk in the partially occupied Donetsk region, local officials reported.

The missiles hit an industrial area of the city, and there weren't any casualties, according to the Ukrainian governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko. Kyrylenko said that the city of Avdiivka was also attacked on Sunday with six rounds of shelling, and a woman was wounded there.

Elsewhere in the front-line region, around the city of Bakhmut, where fierce battles have been underway in recent weeks, the Russian forces were struggling to keep up the pace of their offensive, a U.S.-based think tank reported this weekend.

"Russian forces' rate of advance in the Bakhmut area has likely slowed in recent days, although it is too early to assess whether the Russian offensive to capture Bakhmut has culminated," the Institute for the Study of War wrote in its recent update.

The think tank cited Russian military bloggers, who it said have recently acknowledged "that Ukrainian forces in the Bakhmut area have managed to slightly slow down the pace of the Russian advance around Bakhmut and its surrounding settlements."

Sources on Ukrainian social media "previously claimed that Ukrainian forces completely pushed Russian forces out of the eastern outskirts of Bakhmut" around Dec. 21, the report added.

"Russian forces will likely struggle to maintain the pace of their offensive operations in the Bakhmut area and may seek to initiate a tactical or operational pause," the institute concluded.

A day before, a deadly Russian attack on the southern city of Kherson, retaken by Ukrainian forces last month, killed and wounded scores of people.

The Russian forces shelled Ukrainian-held areas of the partially occupied Kherson region 71 times over the past 24 hours, including 41 attacks on the city of Kherson, the region's Ukrainian governor Yaroslav Yanushevich reported on Sunday.

A total of 16 people have been killed, according to the official, including three emergency workers killed in the process of demining the Berislav district of the region. Yanushevich said that 64 more have been wounded.

In the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region, the city of Nikopol was shelled overnight from heavy artillery, Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said. No casualties have been reported.

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