In a summit with the heads of Ukraine and Turkey on Thurs., the UN's António Guterres reiterated calls for a demilitarized zone at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, held by Russian forces since Mar. 4. The secretary-general said: "Military equipment and personnel should be withdrawn from the plant. Further deployment of forces or equipment to the site must be avoided. The area needs to be demilitarized."
Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – who mediated the grain export deal which is also the subject of talks – said: "The focal point of the trilateral meeting was finding a way to end the war." The president went on: "I have preserved my belief that the war will come to an end at the negotiating table."
With strikes increasingly hitting key bridges and ammunition depots in Russian-controlled territory, there's more and more reason to think Ukraine's counteroffensive – a vital step in bringing this war to a close – will be a success.
Ukraine's southern offensive has been much talked about, but there's little to show for it in territorial gains other than the recapture of a small town. Not only has there been no Ukraine counteroffensive, it will never come.