Ukraine has made 'astonishing' battlefield gains in recent weeks while the Russian economy falters under the enormous cost of Putin's war, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
The German leader proclaimed that Ukraine's fight against Russia was more effective than it has been made out to be, pointing to major territorial gains made by their military this month ahead of the war's fourth anniversary.
Zelenskyy said in an interview on February 20 that his forces had liberated 300 square kilometres of territory from Russian hands in an unspecified area of southern Ukraine during an unspecified time frame.
Independent data also confirmed that Ukrainian forces took back 200 square kilometres in just five days two weeks ago in the south east, just before the latest round of US-brokered talks between Kyiv and Moscow. The negotiations ended at a stalemate after Russian demands for territorial concessions in the Donbas region.
Meanwhile, Russia's economy has entered a 'death zone' and is only sustaining itself on military industry while everything else is left behind with oil revenue being halved due to sanctions, Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center said.
In a speech in Berlin, the German Chancellor said: 'February saw astonishing territorial gains by the Ukrainian defense forces, and the Russian economy is creaking under the weight of sanctions and of warfare - more than we may sometimes surmise from our own media coverage here.'
Zelenskyy did not specify the time frame for the 300 square kilometre gains he reported but it was inferred by new agency AFP that Ukrainians were taking advantage of Elon Musk's recent block on Russian forces using his Starlink internet terminals for communication which began on February 1.
Between February 11 and 15, Ukraine launched several successful counteroffensives in the Donetsk Oblast region in the east where 200 square kilometre gains were made, independent sources confirmed.
The advances were calculated by the news agency AFP using data from the independent research organisation the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Ukrainian forces have took over 200 square kilometres of the Donetsk Oblast region in just five days two weeks ago
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Ukraine's fight against Russia was more effective than it has been made out to be in a Berlin speech
Parts of this region have long been occupied by Russian forces, but large areas remain in Ukrainian hands. It is here that Putin has made his demands for territory, saying that Zelenskyy must hand over the Donbas region if he wants a ceasefire.
Trump laid pressure on the Ukrainian president amid talks last week, saying that he 'better come to the table fast' while Putin refused to back down on his territorial demands.
Elon Musk's block on Russian forces using Starlink appears to have made a difference as territory gains swing in Ukrainian favour.
Only those on a whitelist set out by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence are able to log in to Mr Musk's internet service in the region; locking out Russians.
Mr Musk wrote on social media earlier this month: 'Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorised use of Starlink by Russia have worked. Let us know if more needs to be done.'
Jenny Mathers, a senior lecturer in international politics at Aberystwyth University told ABC: 'I think the fact that they've made some gains is important but what we've seen in this war is that Russia is not good with innovation and they're quite slow to respond to change but they do respond to change.'
While Ukraine makes promising gains, Russia's economy is said to be in dire straits. While it is not headed for an imminent crash, GDP has stagnated, oil revenue has halved under sanctions and non-military industry appears to have been 'left in the cold', Mrs Propenko told Fortune.
Ukraine's recent advances may sway its fortunes on negotiations for ceasefire
Trump put pressure on Zelenskyy to 'come to the table fast' amid talks between Kyiv and Moscow
Trump believe Putin wants to end the war and strike a deal but Ukraine and Russia are deadlocked over his demands for the country to cede unoccupied territory in the Donbas region. Meanwhile analysts say Russia's economy has stagnated
While the massive increase in demand for military industry has created many jobs and generated cash flow, Mrs Propenko pointed out that the assets it creates are designed for destruction.
This means that 'Russia's economy now runs on what might be called 'military rent': budget transfers to defence enterprises that generate wages and economic activity,' she said.
Meanwhile, money spent on recruitment does not mean new soldiers will become more productive; instead they are killed or maimed in large numbers. The Centre for Strategic and International Studies has estimated Russian military casualties at 1.2 million, including 325,000 killed.
The Kremlin has cut interest rates to bolster growth, but Mrs Propenko said this problem would not abate with clever fiscal policy.
Interest payments on government debt are already set to exceed spending on education and healthcare combined, Fortune said.
Mrs Propenko added to her earlier 'death zone' analogy. She said: 'Russia can probably continue waging war for the foreseeable future. But no climber can survive the death zone indefinitely - and not all climbers who attempt the descent survive it.'