UKRAINE'S President Volodymyr Zelensky today admitted victory over Russia will be 'very difficult to achieve', as Russian forces take hold of Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview televised on Saturday (May 21) that the current war with Russia could only be brought to an end at the negotiation table.

It was only the second pubic appearance of Zelensky and his wife Olena since the outbreak of the war.

Zelensky said that many Ukrainian pilots operating helicopters and planes had died, transporting medication, food, and water to the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol before the evacuation process started.

He added that the United Nations, the Red Cross and Russia took full responsibility for the Ukrainian servicemen brought out of the steel plant in recent days.

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