Kanyshai Butun
10 July 2026•Update: 10 July 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Friday that some members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle support ending the war, saying they understand that “peace has no alternative.”
Speaking at his evening briefing, Zelenskyy said Russia is facing a worsening gasoline “crisis,” calling it a justified consequence of Moscow’s refusal to end the war.
“We have made proposals on how to bring peace closer, we have support not only among partners in the world, but also among Putin’s entourage – regarding peace,” he said. “They understand what is happening there and that peace has no alternative.”
He also said Ukrainian long-range strikes have reached multiple regions inside Russia, as well as Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine, and vowed to further expand Kyiv’s strike capabilities.
Zelenskyy announced the creation of a special command within the Armed Forces, “a command of long-range, in fact – global influence on Russia during this war.”
“This command must concentrate one hundred percent of available resources in order to further significantly reduce Russia’s war potential,” he said.
Russia has not yet commented on Zelenskyy’s latest claims, and independent verification remains difficult due to the ongoing war.
