Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected his top general’s claim that the war with Russia was at an impasse and that the country’s counteroffensive against the invaders had failed to achieve its strategic goal after five months of fighting.
“Time passes and people are tired, but this is not a dead end,” Zelenski said on Saturday during an interview with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Kiev, reflecting on the global attention to the crisis complained in Israel. He agreed that there were “difficulties” and that he had not yet achieved much success in his counteroffensive.
General Valeri Zalujni, the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, wrote a ninepage essay for the British magazine The Economist detailing his country’s wartime structural problems and virtues.
He concluded that the counteroffensive plan to reach Crimea and cut the land bridge built by the Russians in the south of the country was overly optimistic. Neither side has won decisive victories since then, but Moscow has again shown initiative, which Zalujni attributes to Vladimir Putin’s willingness to sacrifice his soldiers.
In an interview with Von der Leyen, Zelensky again called for an increase in air defense systems and fighter aircraft for the country. “Russia rules the sky,” he said.
Zalujni’s speech highlighted the divisions between the military and civilian leadership of the country, which was invaded just over 20 months ago. Presidential adviser Ihor Jovka directly criticized the general. “If I were in the military, the last thing I would probably do is comment to the press and the public about what is happening or might happen on the front lines,” he said.
“Because it makes the attacker’s job easier. If we can be so successful, perhaps this is a deeply strategic plan. But it seems very strange to me,” he ironized.
The Kremlin, in turn, made fun of the situation. “NO, [a guerra] “It has not reached an impasse,” said spokesman Dmitry Peskov, “because it is absurd that Kiev talks about the possibility of victory.” “As soon as the Kiev regime understands this, some perspectives will open,” he said.
On Friday (3) Zelensky changed the head of the Ukrainian special forces without giving reasons. They are responsible for the most daring operations of the war, such as the attacks on the Russian Black Sea Fleet base in annexed Crimea.
This Sunday, faced with the reluctance of the American Congress to release new funds to support the Ukrainian war effort, the president said in an interview with the American broadcaster NBC that the United States would pay dearly if it did not support Kiev.
“If Russia kills us all, it will attack NATO countries.” [aliança militar ocidental], and you will have to send your sons and daughters there. “I’m sorry, it’s going to be a much higher price,” he said. President Joe Biden has tried to pass a new R$500 billion budget package, most of it for Ukraine but with help for Israel and other fronts.
Republicans have blocked the initiative in the House of Representatives with a view to the 2024 election campaign. Ukraine’s difficulties in this area have raised doubts about the effectiveness of Western support for the country, which in July already totaled more than R$500 billion through the supply of tanks and other weapons.