U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday hailed the recent liberation of the city of Kherson as a «significant victory» for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the framework of the war, which started at the end of February.
«It has been a significant victory for Ukraine and I can do nothing but applaud the courage, determination and power of the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian Army. They have truly been incredible,» the U.S. president said.
Speaking to the media during his trip to Bali to participate in the G20 summit, Biden stressed that the United States will continue to «provide the capacity for the Ukrainian people to defend themselves».
On the other hand, he has asserted that Washington will not participate in «any negotiations», since it is not possible to make decisions or speak on behalf of Ukraine without the representation and approval of the authorities in Kiev. «This is a decision Ukraine has to make,» he said.
These words of the American president come on the same day in which Russia has ruled out a possible withdrawal of troops in exchange for starting peace negotiations, while from Kiev it has been recalled that Moscow «is not in a position to dictate its conditions».
Finally, Biden has assessed the evolution of the war and has pointed to the possibility that hostilities may «slow down a little» in the coming days due to the arrival of winter, which normally also entails greater difficulty in moving through Ukrainian territory due to low temperatures and snowfall.
Ukrainian forces regained control of the town of Kherson, seized by Russia on March 2, on November 11, amid a withdrawal of Russian forces across the Dnieper River in the face of advances made in recent weeks by the Ukrainian Army in this region.
The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, made a surprise visit to the city on Monday, from where he denounced the great destruction that Russia has carried out in Kherson, while remarking that Kiev is «advancing» and «ready for peace».
