Zelensky says Israel conflict -Gaza has turned the focus off the war in Ukraine.

Israel's War -Gaza is “that removes the focus of” conflict in Ukraine, the country's president, Volodyr Zelensky, has admitted.

He said this was Russia's “one of Russia's” goals, which began a full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

And he denied that fighting in Ukraine had reached a deadlock, despite a recent assessment of it by the country's top military general.

At Saturday's conference in Kiev with European Commission President Ursula von der Leenen, Zelensky said: “It is clear that the Middle East war is dismissing the focus” Ukraine.

He said Russia wanted this focus to be “developed”, but stressed that “everything is in our powers”.

Zelensky was asked to comment this week's assessment by Ukraine's top military commander, Valery Zalluzny, that the war was now going through a key “provisional phase” or static, according to him, it would benefit Moscow by allowing it to rebuild its military power”.

“Everyone is getting tired and has different opinions,” answered Zelensky, adding: “But this is not a”.

He acknowledged that Russia “was controlling the skies” and that Ukraine urgently needed US-made F-16 fighter aircraft and advanced counteraircraft to change the situation.

The Ukrainian leader recalled that last year, too, much had been spoken about in the wide field of battle in Ukraine, but he noted Kiev's subsequent military victories in the northeast region of Kharkiv and Kherson in the south.

Zelensky also dismissed media reports that he was under mounting pressure to review negotiations with Russia.

Today, no one among the leaders of the EU, the US and others our partners is putting pressure on us to sit down to negotiate with Russia and give her something. That's not gonna happen. ”

Moscow has been trying to progress in eastern and northeastern Ukraine in recent weeks, but Ukraine's army says all attacks have been backed off, the BBC writes, broadcast Clankosova.tv.