Ukraine’s defence minster has said he is ‘optimistic’ the war with Russia could be over by the end of the year.
Oleksiy Reznikov discussed the conflict at the international security forum as the invasion reached its 100th day.
He said: ‘Russia continues to make efforts to occupy our entire state.
‘It is currently impossible to predict when the war will end, but my optimistic predictions are that it will be possible to do it this year.’
But he warned other countries are at risk while Russia occupies parts of Ukraine.
He said: ‘Next will be Poland, the Baltic countries, Slovakia, and others.
‘That is why we must stop Russia and restrain (them) in the future.’
French President Emmanuel Macron drew criticism from Ukraine over his comments urging leaders not to ‘humiliate’ Russia.
Mr Macron told a French local newspaper: ‘We must not humiliate Russia so that the day when the fighting stops we can build an exit ramp through diplomatic means.’
Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba hit back, writing on Twitter: ‘Calls to avoid humiliation of Russia can only humiliate France and every other country that would call for it.’
He added: ‘We all better focus on how to put Russia in its place.’
According to Russia’s defence ministry, troops are currently forcing the Ukrainians to withdraw across the Siverskiy Donets river to Lysychansk.
British officials say Russia is devoting significant troop force to the area in a ‘creeping advance’.
The province of Luhansk would be under Moscow’s control if Russia was to fully take Severodonetsk and Lysychansk.
Ukraine’s interior ministry said the number of bodies of civilians have now been exhumed in the Kyiv region since Russia’s military retreat stands at more than 1,300.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.