Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

Ukraine war: Zelenskyy admits it's 'impossible' to completely force Russia out of country - amid fears of Korea-style split

Ukraine war: Zelenskyy admits it's 'impossible' to completely force Russia out of country - amid fears of Korea-style split

In its latest intelligence update, the MoD said local counterattacks have hampered Russian attempts to reorganise its forces, amid fears Chernihiv could become the next Mariupol.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has admitted it would be "impossible" to completely force Russian forces out of Ukraine, amid fears Vladimir Putin is seeking a Korea-style split.

The head of military intelligence in Kyiv said the Kremlin wanted to split the country like "North and South Korea", securing itself a region controlled from Moscow after failing in its bid for a complete takeover.

Speaking hours later, Mr Zelenskyy appeared to acknowledge his government would have to concede territory.

He said attempting to completely force Russia out "would lead to a Third World War".

Mr Zelenskyy said he was seeking a "compromise" with Moscow over Donbas, the region which has been partly controlled by Russian-backed separatist groups since 2014.

It's been suggested that the Kremlin wants to hold "referendums" in such areas to determine whether the people living there want to be part of Russia.

But Mr Zelenskyy wants Russian troops out of parts of the country they've occupied since last month's full invasion, saying a deal is "only possible" if they are withdrawn.

Despite reports of continued shelling, Russia's advance appears to have stalled


Fallout from Biden's remarks continue


Elsewhere, Emmanuel Macron has distanced himself from Joe Biden after the US president said Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power".

In a powerful speech in Poland on Saturday evening, Mr Biden said stopping the war in Ukraine is "the task of our time" as he appeared to call for his Russian counterpart to be replaced.

The White House later denied he was calling for regime change, and a Kremlin spokesman responded by saying "that's not for Biden to decide".

Speaking on France-3 television on Sunday, Mr Macron said: "I wouldn't use those terms, because I continue to speak to President Putin, because what we want to do collectively is that we want to stop the war Russia launched in Ukraine, without waging war and without an escalation."

The French president also stressed that the US remains an important ally, but added: "We share many common values, but those who live next to Russia are the Europeans."

'Guerrilla warfare' to be launched against Russian forces


Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's defence intelligence chief, said they would soon launch guerrilla warfare in Russian-occupied territory.

In remarks released by the Defense Ministry, he said Putin realised "he can't swallow the entire country" and would likely try to split the country under "the Korean scenario".

Mr Budanov added: "The occupiers will try to pull the occupied territories into a single quasi-state structure and pit it against independent Ukraine."

He cited Russian attempts to set up parallel governments in occupied cities and attempts to bar people from using the Ukrainian currency, the hryvnia.

Referendum on joining Russia


A separatist leader in eastern Ukraine said his region wants to hold a vote on joining Russia.

Leonid Pasechnik, the head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, said it could hold a referendum "in the nearest time" asking voters whether they support making the region a part of Russia.

Russia has supported separatist rebels in the region, and nearby Donetsk, since an insurgency erupted there in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea.

A spokesperson for the Ukraine foreign ministry said all "fake" referendums held by Russia in occupied territories will have no legal basis.

It follows the latest intelligence update from the UK's Ministry of Defence which said the battlefield in northern Ukraine remains "largely static" but Russian troops are concentrating efforts on the "encirclement" of Ukrainian forces in the east.

The MoD said local counterattacks have hampered Russian attempts to reorganise its forces.


There are fears Chernihiv, in the north, could become the next Mariupol, with 44 severely wounded people - including three children - unable to be evacuated for treatment, the city's mayor has said.

The city has been cut off by Russian forces.

Lviv, in the west, has also come under fire, with Putin's forces striking a fuel depot with high-precision cruise missiles.

Meanwhile, two humanitarian corridors have been agreed for Sunday, according to Ukraine's deputy prime minister.

Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the corridors, used to evacuate civilians from frontline areas, will run from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions and include people leaving Mariupol in private cars.

Sanctions could be lifted if invasion ends


The foreign secretary has said sanctions against oligarchs, banks and businesses could be lifted if Russia ends its invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Liz Truss said "snapback sanctions" would be retained if the Russian president did attack again.

Ms Truss said a "negotiations unit" had been established in the Foreign Office to aid possible peace talks.

As Kremlin troops continue to struggle, her comments could be seen as an incentive for Vladimir Putin to cut his losses and agree a deal with Ukraine.

Her comments mirror those made by US secretary of state Antony Blinken, who said travel bans and asset freezes are "not designed to be permanent".

Nadhim Zahawi told Sophy Ridge on Sunday the "Russian military has miscalculated" its invasion of Ukraine.

"The Ukrainians have fought like lions," he said. "They've defended their country. They believe in their freedom."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
Shell Pulls Out of Two UK Floating Wind Projects Amid Renewables Retreat
Viagogo Hit With £15 Million Tax Bill After HMRC Transfer-Pricing Inquiry
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Pinches UK GDP, Bank of England Says
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
UK Tenant Complaints Hit Record Levels as Rental Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
President Donald Trump Challenges Nigeria with Military Options Over Alleged Christian Killings
Nancy Pelosi Finally Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election, Signalling End of Long Congressional Career
UK Pre-Budget Blues and Rate-Cut Concerns Pile Pressure on Pound
ITV Warns of Nine-Per-Cent Drop in Q4 Advertising Revenue Amid Budget Uncertainty
National Grid Posts Slightly Stronger-Than-Expected Half-Year Profit as Regulatory Investments Drive Growth
UK Business Lobby Urges Reeves to Break Tax Pledges and Build Fiscal Headroom
UK to Launch Consultation on Stablecoin Regulation on November 10
UK Savers Rush to Withdraw Pension Cash Ahead of Budget Amid Tax-Change Fears
Massive Spoilers Emerge from MAFS UK 2025: Couple Swaps, Dating App Leaks and Reunion Bombshells
Kurdish-led Crime Network Operates UK Mini-Marts to Exploit Migrants and Sell Illicit Goods
UK Income Tax Hike Could Trigger £1 Billion Cut to Scotland’s Budget, Warns Finance Secretary
Tommy Robinson Acquitted of Terror-related Charge After Phone PIN Dispute
Boris Johnson Condemns Western Support for Hamas at Jewish Community Conference
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group to Strengthen AUKUS Submarine Supply Chain
Tragedy in Serbia: Coach Mladen Žižović Collapses During Match and Dies at 44
Diplo Says He Dated Katy Perry — and Justin Trudeau
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Trump Calls Title Removal of Andrew ‘Tragic Situation’ Amid Royal Fallout
UK Bonds Rally as Chancellor Reeves Briefs Markets Ahead of November Budget
×