Mr. Zelensky: Ukraine needs more time to prepare for counterattack

President Zelensky said Ukraine's new brigades were ready for combat, but the country wanted to receive more equipment to limit casualties.

"We still need more time. We can advance and succeed with what we have, but we will lose a lot of soldiers. That is unacceptable," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview published today.

Mr Zelensky said the new brigades, many of which were trained by NATO, were combat-ready. But he said the Ukrainian army still needed more Western-supplied equipment, including a series of promised armored vehicles.

Ukraine's president is confident that his country's army is capable of making significant advances, stressing that no country can pressure Kiev to cede territory to Moscow for peace negotiations if the counterattack fails.

President Zelensky holds a press conference in Kiev, Ukraine, on May 9. Photo: Reuters

He also dismissed concerns that Ukraine could lose US support if President Joe Biden is not re-elected in 2024. "We still have the support of both houses of the US Congress . Who knows what the situation will be when the US presidential election takes place. I believe that Ukraine could have won the battle at that time," President Zelensky added.

Ukraine and the West have recently repeatedly mentioned a large-scale counter-offensive to retake areas controlled by Russia. Ukrainian officials have announced that the operation will be launched when the opportunity arises, asserting that the counter-offensive will cause "all of Russia to panic".

A recently leaked Pentagon document said Ukraine plans to mobilize at least 12 brigades for a counteroffensive in the east and south. However, many US officials fear the risk of a multi-pronged attack if Ukraine’s counteroffensive fails or fails to achieve significant results.

Ukrainian officials are trying to play down expectations for the counteroffensive, fearing that it may not go as planned. Many Western experts believe that after Russia has fortified its defense line of more than 1,000 kilometers, Ukrainian units will have difficulty advancing in a counteroffensive with their current resources.

A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said leaders in Kiev "understand they need to succeed, but should not view the counter-offensive as a silver bullet that can end the fighting".

Vu Anh (According to BBC )

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/ong-zelensky-ukraine-can-them-thoi-gian-chuan-bi-phan-cong-4604043.html