Ukraine’s leader: Russia seeks another key city in southeast

By OLEKSANDR STASHEVSKYI and YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s president says Russian forces intend to capture Zaporizhzhia, a large city in the country’s southeast. The seizure of the city would allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a news conference Monday that peace talks with Russia stood at “level zero.” He said “the most threatening situation” has developed in the Zaporizhzhia region, parts of which have already been taken by Russia.  Zelenskyy said. In the meantime, Kyiv is hoping that its allies can create secure corridors that would allow its ships to export grain that has been blocked inside the country by the fighting, fueling a global food crisis.