Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the frontline city of Kupiansk on Friday, just weeks after Russia claimed its forces had taken power.
In a video posted to
“Today I am in the Kupiansk sector, with our fighters who are here doing the job for Ukraine,” he said. “The Russians kept going on about Kupiansk – the reality speaks for itself. I visited our troops and congratulated them.”
Russian state media outlet Tass reported in November that Russian forces had “liberated” the city of Kupiansk in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, citing a briefing by Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, to President Vladimir Putin.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky records a video in front of a sign reading “Kupiansk” in the frontline city of the Kharkov region on December 12, 2025. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Zelenskyy’s visit comes as he and his negotiating team prepare for a new round of talks Sunday in Berlin with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.
He is also expected to hold talks with European leaders on a broader political agreement to end the war and ensure long-term security for Ukraine, as well as plans to support the country’s post-war recovery and development.
“We are focusing on reliably guaranteeing Ukraine’s security so that the experiences of the Budapest Memorandum and the Russian invasion will never happen again. We count on constructive talks,” Zelenskyy said on X.
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Ukrainian soldiers carry the coffin of a fallen comrade during a funeral ceremony on January 4, 2025 in Lviv, Ukraine. (Michael Verdriet/Anadolu via Getty Images)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added that any lasting ceasefire in Ukraine must include strong guarantees and protect European security interests, warning that peace cannot be achieved at the expense of the EU or NATO or without their participation.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reiterated these concerns last week, warning members of the transatlantic alliance that they could be Russia’s next target.
Speaking at the Bavarian State Representation during a meeting of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Rutte said increasing defense spending is not a moment for complacency as long as Russia continues its large-scale attacks on Ukraine.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will hold a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin on December 11, 2025. (Liesa Johannssen/Reuters)
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“I worry that too many people are quietly complacent. Too many don’t feel the urgency. And too many people believe that time is on our side. That’s not the case. The time for action is now,” he said.
The NATO chief urged allies to boost defense spending and production, saying their armed forces must have the resources needed to protect their homeland, and warned that Moscow could be prepared to use military force against NATO within five years.
