**Russia Must Withdraw to Pre-2022 Front Line, Zelensky Says**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia must pull back its troops to at least the front line as it was before the full-scale invasion in 2022. He made this statement on February 15 in an interview with Newsmax.
This comes after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier said that Ukraine was unlikely to restore its pre-2014 borders in any negotiations with Moscow on ending its war. Experts and officials in Ukraine and Europe have criticized Hegseth’s comments for undermining Ukraine’s leverage before peace talks with Russia have even started.
**Trump Can End the War, Zelensky Says**
Zelensky also said that US President Donald Trump could end Russia’s war if Europe supports his plan. Trump has repeatedly pledged to swiftly end the war in Ukraine although he never presented a plan for achieving that. Zelensky stressed that a peace deal “can only be about a plan to end the war,” which should be agreed upon between Ukraine and the US president and backed by both sides.
**Russian Drone Attacks on Ukraine**
Russian forces launched 70 drones from various locations, including occupied Crimea, at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. This number includes 1,180 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day. Local residents reported hearing over 15 explosions as drones targeted an oil refinery in the Krasnoarmeysky district of the city.
**US Support Crucial for Ukraine**
Volodymyr Zelensky said on February 14 that it would be “very, very, very difficult” for Ukraine to sustain its fight against Russia and remain secure in the long term without American support.