“We would lose a lot of people,” said Zelenskyy about the possible consequences of starting the operation immediately.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
rt Ukrainian troops are “ready” to launch a counteroffensive against Russia, but need more time and equipment until conditions are ideal, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told western media.
“We would lose a lot of people,” said Zelenskyy about the possible consequences of starting the operation immediately. “I find that unacceptable. So we have to wait. We still need some time.”
The Ukrainian leader spoke to journalists from the Eurovision News network after being quoted by the BBC this Thursday.
Zelenskyy specifically told journalists that the Ukrainian army needs more armored vehicles, stressed that his government is eager to use the weapons provided by its Western backers and said Russia wants to freeze the conflict.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed this week that the Russian military is continuing to fight Ukraine.
“Waging war … means total destruction of infrastructure, total destruction of cities,” the official said, adding that Russia is “trying to save people’s lives.”
Zelensky dismissed the notion that Kiev would be forced into negotiations by its foreign backers if the counteroffensive failed, arguing that they “cannot pressure Ukraine to cede territory.”
Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed efforts by Washington and its allies to prepare Kiev for a military deployment, calling them “very productive.” Ukraine has received weapons, maintenance, troop training and “the right plans,” the US official told reporters.
“They have what they need in all these dimensions to continue to be successful in reclaiming territory,” judged Blinken.
The UK has reportedly provided Ukraine with new military capabilities by supplying it with Storm Shadow airlaunched cruise missiles. The weapons have a range of up to 300 km (200 miles), more than any Western weapon sent to Kiev to date.
Ukraine has long demanded more sophisticated weapons, claiming they are necessary to gain an advantage over Russia. The Kiev government has also urged its Western sponsors to supply F16 fighter jets to replenish the dwindling fleet of Soviet fighter jets, but this has so far gone unheeded.
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Russia views hostilities in Ukraine as part of a broader Western proxy war, arguing that the continued flow of arms to Kiev is merely prolonging the conflict and increasing the risk of escalation. Moscow has made Ukraine’s demilitarization a key objective of its campaign, arguing that NATO’s presence in the country poses a critical threat to Russia’s national security.