According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the invasion of Ukraine is going entirely according to plan, with Russian troops advancing everywhere and conquering all before them. This swaggering stance is intended to demoralize Ukrainians and deter Kyiv’s partners. Most of all, it is designed to convince US President Donald Trump that Russian victory is inevitable and persuade him to back Kremlin-friendly peace terms.
In order to maintain this air of inevitability, Putin routinely inflates Russian battlefield successes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought to counter these exaggerated claims by pointing to Russia’s extremely modest territorial gains over the past few years of the invasion. Last week, he decided to take a more direct approach and personally traveled to a front line city in eastern Ukraine that Putin and his Kremlin colleagues have repeatedly bragged of seizing.
Zelenskyy’s trip to Kupyansk came amid a successful Ukrainian offensive that forced Russian troops to retreat from much of the city. The selfie video he recorded during his visit was masterclass in wartime messaging that debunked Putin’s boasts while also underlining Ukraine’s continued ability to defeat Russia on the battlefield. “Putin publicly lied, claiming that Russian forces had already taken the city. So I went to Kupyansk myself to show the world that Putin is lying,” the Ukrainian leader commented. “We must keep exposing every single Russian falsehood because truth restores justice.”
Kupyansk is a strategically important city located close to the Russian border in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. It was occupied by Russian troops in the initial stages of the full-scale invasion before being liberated during Ukraine’s September 2022 counteroffensive. In recent months, the city has once again become a key target for the advancing Russian army, with Putin and his generals announcing the capture of the city on multiple occasions.
Putin’s proclamations of battlefield success in Kupyansk began in late October, when he issued an invitation to international journalists and promised to provide them with safe passage to witness the alleged encirclement of Ukrainian units trapped in the city. Days later, he told a meeting of Russia’s National Security Council that Kupyansk was “practically in the hands of Russian forces,” with victorious troops engaged in mopping up operations. “The city’s future has already been determined,” Putin stated.
On November 20, Russia’s top general Valery Gerasimov informed Putin that Russian forces had established full control over Kupyansk. The following day, Putin invoked the alleged fall of the city in an attempt to project Russian strength and intimidate Ukraine. “If Kyiv does not want to discuss President Trump’s proposals and refuses it, then both they and the European warmongers should understand the events that took place in Kupyansk will inevitably be repeated in other key areas of the front,” he warned.
Similarly bold Russian statements continued into the current month. On December 2, Putin remarked that Kupyansk had been under Russian occupation “for several weeks now,” and accused the Ukrainian authorities of being completely detached from battlefield developments. In reality, however, it is now apparent that Putin himself was guilty of spinning fantasies about the imaginary Russian conquest of Kupyansk. Speaking on the outskirts of the city, Zelenskyy openly mocked the Kremlin dictator’s dishonesty. “The Russians have had a lot to say about Kupyansk,” he commented. “The reality speaks for itself.”
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Zelenskyy’s latest front line appearance was much more than a high stakes photo opportunity or a chance to troll the Kremlin. In his video, the Ukrainian leader acknowledged the need to shape international perceptions of the war in order to strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position. “Today, achieving results on the front line is crucial so that Ukraine can achieve results in diplomacy,” he noted. “This is exactly how it works: All our strong positions within the country translate into strong positions in the negotiations to end the war.”
Ukraine’s recent gains in the Battle of Kupyansk do not alter the country’s precarious position at various other points on the sprawling battlefield of Europe’s largest war since World War II. Nevertheless, Zelenskyy was right to shine a spotlight on city. His headline-grabbing selfie video served as a timely reminder that Putin is a proven liar whose word cannot be trusted. It also confirmed that contrary to Kremlin propaganda, the Ukrainian army is far from collapse and remains a formidable fighting force.
These are exactly the messages Ukraine needs to convey to the current US administration. Donald Trump seems remarkably susceptible to Putin’s portrayal of Russia as an irresistible military force, and has repeatedly suggested that Ukraine should accept a Kremlin-friendly peace or risk destruction. The facts on the ground simply do not support this defeatist assessment. While Russia holds the overall initiative and is currently advancing, it is grinding forward at glacial pace while suffering catastrophic losses.
Zelenskyy’s front line visit underscored that Russian victory is anything but inevitable, despite Putin’s protestations to the contrary. With enough international support, there is good reason to believe that the Ukrainian military is capable of replicating its recent Kupyansk success elsewhere and stemming the tide of Russia’s invasion. This is a realistic recipe for peace. Indeed, it may be the only way to pressure Putin into serious negotiations.
Peter Dickinson is editor of the ’s UkraineAlert service.
The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the , its staff, or its supporters.
The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the East.
Image: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy self-records a video in front of a sign that reads ‘Kupiansk’, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the frontline town of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, Ukraine. December 12, 2025. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS)
