President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "everyone has forgotten about Ukraine because of the events in the Middle East." He said this in an interview with Nikkei and other foreign publications in Kyiv.

"Today, everyone has forgotten about Ukraine because of the events in the Middle East. I believe that this is exactly what the Russian Federation was trying to achieve, and I am sorry to say that they have achieved the desired result," Zelensky said.

He also explained the difficulties with the Armed Forces' counteroffensive this year.

"It is very difficult to recapture a territory that is fortified and where fortifications are built in several lines. It is difficult for people," the President said.

However, according to Volodymyr Zelensky, "negotiations on a ceasefire with Moscow can begin only after the Russian military completely leaves the territory of Ukraine."

"We cannot recognize our territories as the territories of the Russian Federation," he explained.