Zelensky: We are successfully thwarting the Russian command's plans for an offensive in southern Ukraine

Ukrainian troops are successfully countering the Russian command's plans for an offensive in southern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. He pointed to the successful counteroffensive in the Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions, which began in late January.

"In the southern part of our country, over the past month and a half, they have carried out a number of important defensive actions, and in some areas, offensive actions. These actions were aimed at thwarting the plans of the Russian Federation. And this, in our opinion, has been quite successful - we have regained control over 400-435 square kilometers so far," Zelensky said.

To date, Russia occupies about 75 percent of the Zaporizhia region, which it declared its own in 2022.  

At his briefing today, Zelensky expressed his opinion that eastern Ukraine with the Donetsk region remains the main target of the Russians this spring.

Representatives of the administration of President Donald Trump defended his decision to temporarily allow India to buy Russian oil after months of pressuring Delhi to reduce purchases.

The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Walz, was forced to answer a question from an NBC journalist about why the Trump administration is helping Russia finance its war in Ukraine.

"This is a 30-day pause in restrictions - a completely reasonable step that will allow millions of barrels that are now on ships at sea to go to Indian refineries. "It's going to be a short-term pain for a long-term gain because Iran won't be able to hold hostage everyone in the world who relies on energy supplies from the Persian Gulf," Walz said.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN that there is no change in the policy of isolating Russia from energy markets.

"There's a huge amount of oil that's sailing to or waiting to be unloaded at Chinese refineries. Instead of waiting six weeks for it to be unloaded there, let's pull it forward to India and that will quell this fear of oil shortages, quell prices and the concerns in the market. "This is a pragmatic step with short-term impact," Wright said.

In the week after Trump attacked Iran, gasoline prices in the United States jumped 11 percent and diesel prices 15 percent, further exacerbating the surprise loss of 92,000 jobs in February.