Zelensky's Bombshell Admission; Confirms Putin Military Wiped Out 55,000 Ukrainians Soldiers | WATCH

In Ukraine, officially on the battlefield, the number of military personnel killed, whether career soldiers or conscripts, is 55,000. And there are a great number Ukraine lists as missing. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that around 55,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, with many more still missing in action. As negotiations grind on behind closed doors, the war continues to claim lives on the ground. In an interview with French broadcaster France 2, President Zelensky described the scale of Ukraine's losses as devastating, confirming that tens of thousands of soldiers have died, while a great number remain unaccounted for. Zelensky also delivered a striking political message, claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin is afraid of U.S. President Donald Trump. He said this fear should shape Washington's approach, insisting that no American leader should accept conditions dictated by the Kremlin. Zelensky argued that Ukraine's security is inseparable from global stability, warning that treating the war as a secondary issue would carry consequences far beyond Europe. He said this message has been central to his discussions with Trump, stressing that Ukraine must remain a geopolitical priority. In Ukraine, officially on the battlefield, the number of military personnel killed, whether career soldiers or conscripts, is 55,000, and there are a great number Ukraine lists as missing. Putin is only afraid of Trump. That's a fact. What Trump should say to Putin is not for me to say. If President Trump knows that Putin is afraid of him, then he cannot accept all the conditions set by the Russian president. It is Putin who is afraid of Trump, not the other way around. In my opinion, the United States has other priorities in terms of geopolitics. But the United States needs to understand that Ukraine is important. This is a crucial point in my discussions with President Trump. He needs to realize that Ukraine is important for global security. Separately, President Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have agreed on another prisoner exchange expected to take place in the near future. He said Kyiv's position remains unchanged, stating the war must end for real and that Russia must be genuinely prepared to do so. There was a report from our delegation after today's meetings held in a trilateral format. There were also contacts between the team and the American side. The report was delivered by Rustam Umarov, Kirill Obudanov, and David Arakamia. The guys were in contact. We discussed the interim results of the negotiations for today. They will continue tomorrow. There will also be a significant step. We expect a POW prisoners of war exchange in the near future. Captives must be brought home. Overall, Ukraine's position is very clear. The war must be ended for real. Russia must be ready for this. These remarks come as Ukrainian and Russian envoys met in Abu Dhabi for another round of U.S.-brokered talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict. The delegations were joined by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, highlighting Washington's direct involvement. However, even as talks continued, violence escalated. A Russian strike using cluster munitions hit a crowded market in eastern Ukraine, killing at least seven people and wounding 15 others, according to local officials. Meanwhile, Moscow has issued a stark warning. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peshkov said Russian forces will continue fighting until Kiev makes what Russia considers the right decisions to end the war. Those demands reportedly include Ukraine withdrawing its troops from the heavily fortified Donetsk region, effectively surrendering territory regarded as critical to Ukraine's defenses. The explosion ripped through a busy market in Drozhkivka, eastern Ukraine, a place where civilians gather every morning. According to Ukrainian officials, Russian shelling struck directly at the market, killing at least six people and wounding others in seconds. Reports said the attack involved cluster munitions, weapons designed to spread destruction across wide areas. In a crowded civilian space, the impact was devastating. Burned stalls. Shattered vehicles. Further south, in Zaporizhia, Russian drone strikes hit a residential area, killing two teenagers, an 18-year-old girl and a young boy. Eleven more were injured, including children. Video released by local authorities shows scorched cars and damaged homes. Overnight, strikes also hit the Black Sea port city of Odessa, damaging civilian infrastructure. Emergency services report at least one person injured. From the east to the south, the pattern is familiar. Civilian areas absorbing the shock of a widening war. All this comes as diplomatic efforts struggle to gain traction. After a year of attempts, the Trump administration is still searching for a breakthrough, particularly on the most explosive issue. Who controls Ukrainian land occupied by Russian forces? First round of talks in Abu Dhabi concluded today, involving trilateral discussions on security issues. But expectations remain low. The gap between battlefield realities and diplomatic language continues to grow. At the Kremlin, spokesman Dmitry Peskov offered few details, saying Moscow would not issue statements on the talk's outcome. He insists Russia remains open to peace, while stressing its position is already known to Kyiv and Washington. The signals must come not only about Ukraine. I think the group knows what to do. We must look for the dialogue, but nobody plans to surrender. I think the president, Ukraine, is absolutely ready to play ball, to come to a deal with the Russians, which has to be, of course, acceptable for all parties, and particularly, of course, for Ukraine, no doubt. But of course, this starts you to question, makes you question whether the Russians are serious. And let's hope they are. And I know the American president is everything, doing everything he can to bring this terrible war to an end with his team. And I commend him for that. He's the only one who's able to do that. But last night is a really bad signal. You're always with our state. And I'm very glad that you're with us at such a harsh moment, undoubtedly tough moment of this war, when the Russians have once again disregarded the efforts of the American side. There was a request from the president of the United States to refrain from strikes on energy and critical infrastructure, and you're aware of that, for the duration of the meetings of our negotiating teams. And the president of the United States said that strikes should be withheld for a week. It's very important. And it was an important decision. In practice, this began on Friday night. And last night, the Russians, in our view, broke the promise that they've given. So either Russian now believes that a week consists of less than four days instead of seven, or they are really putting all their eggs in the basket of war. And they simply waited for the coldest days of this winter to come when the temperatures across large parts of Ukraine are below minus 20 degrees Celsius. And I expect our partners not to remain silent about what's happening. It's critical for everyone to continue supporting the defense of our country and our people. It is patriot systems that counter ballistic missiles the most effectively. You're aware of that. And that means that missiles are needed. More missiles are needed. And the deliveries must be as prompt as possible. Yes, I'm absolutely confident that the money will be there. Because we all know it's crucial. We have now two-thirds of allies participating in the Pearl program. And you're right, there is an issue of burden sharing. And at the moment, some allies are doing a lot. A lot of allies are doing something. A few are doing nothing. But most are now involved in Pearl. But we need a better burden sharing within NATO. That's what we are working on. We know that some countries like the Canadians, and the Norwegians, and the Germans, and the Dutch, and the Danes, but also the Danes, and the Norwegians, and the Swedes together with the Baltic countries, they're doing quite a lot. We have other countries who are also doing relatively much like Slovenia or Belgium. But still, more can be done overall. After the meeting in Abu Dhabi, the American side, in the end of the meeting, they have proposed de-escalatory steps. That's what they called them. To not hit energy infrastructure. They've also raised the topics of not attacking other critical infrastructure, to be honest. But we saw that there were attacks on the railway and other facilities. But there were no attacks on energy for the most part. And the Americans thought this will be in effect for a week. But if you look at such a peculiar thing, today they have attacked us. It was with 71 missiles and 450 drones, Shaheds alone. If you look at the attack arsenal that the Russians wanted to use when the negotiations in Abu Dhabi have ended, then there was less of everything. So what they did, they delayed the attack. They've built up the amount of drones and missiles. And they attacked at the coldest days. So I couldn't say that somebody gifted us anything. I don't think that's what happened. Yes, the President of the United States, I believe that this was a very reasonable proposal. Let's demonstrate to the whole world and our societies that de-escalatory steps are taking place. Let's start this, let's implement this package of de-escalatory steps in between the meetings. And the Americans have suggested to have it until the next meeting. That's what it was supposed to be. And then the parties would discuss other de-escalatory steps and how we see the end of the war. The meeting, not on Ukrainian initiative, was delayed, appointed for Wednesday, Thursday. And you know that. It was delayed because of the reasons that came from another direction. And in our view, the demonstration of de-escalatory steps had to continue, carry on. Our team will be receiving the information from the Russian side that the team that then they went to their leader. And they will come back with the feedback and they will discuss this feedback. My team will be in touch with me. I'll connect with them and we'll listen to what the Russians have brought. What compromises are they ready for? The signals must come not only about Ukraine. I think the group knows what to do. We must look for the dialogue, but nobody plans to surrender. I think the president, Ukraine, is absolutely ready to play ball, to come to a deal with the Russians, which has to be, of course, acceptable for all parties and particularly, of course, for Ukraine, no doubt. But of course, this starts you to question, makes you question whether the Russians are serious. And let's hope they are. And I know the American president is everything, doing everything he can to bring this terrible war to an end with his team. And I commend him for that. He's the only one who's able to do that. But last night is a really bad signal.