President Volodymyr Zelensky visited front-line troops near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast and held a military command meeting in Kharkiv Oblast on March 22, as Russia continues to press on in eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky has previously said that Russia is attempting renewed offensives in various parts of the front line, including in Kharkiv Oblast.
The president visited the command post of the tactical group "Pokrovsk" and was briefed on front-line developments by acting commander Yurii Madiar. The embattled town has been among the most hotly contested areas of the front, though Zelensky reported on March 15 that the situation near Pokrovsk had "stabilized."
On the same day, Zelensky visited the command post of the tactical group "Kharkiv" and was updated about the battlefield situation in Kharkiv Oblast by Commander Viktor Solimchuk.
The Russian army has not stopped trying to expand its footholds in the northern areas of the region, Solimchuk said.
Zelensky presented soldiers in both areas with medals, including the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi.
"I want to thank you for truly bringing Ukraine closer to a lasting and just peace, to victory. We all deeply want this, and every step is important," he said.
Zelensky later held a military cabinet meeting in Kharkiv with senior officials in the armed forces and the Presidential Office.
The president and his team discussed key front-line developments and prepared for the upcoming meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia on March 23, the Presidential Office said.
Zelensky previously said the delegation would meet on March 24, the same day the U.S. is set to hold separate meetings with Russian delegates. CBS News correspondent Jennifer Jacobs reported on March 21 that a U.S. technical team would meet with Ukrainian officials a day earlier.
"If progress is made in Riyadh with Russian team, the U.S. technical team may meet again with the Ukrainians' team later Monday," Jacobs wrote, citing sources familiar with the talks.
Zelensky also plans to meet European leaders in Paris on March 27 in a meeting hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.
Natalia Yermak
(Updated: )
