In his interview with AP, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine's Defense Forces did not achieve the desired results in the counteroffensive that started several months ago. According to him, Ukraine wanted to get faster results in the offensive.
“We wanted faster results. From that perspective, unfortunately, we did not achieve the desired results. And this is a fact,” Zelenskyy said.
According to AP, Zelenskyy added that Ukraine did not receive all the weapons it needed from allies, and limits in the size of its military force precluded a quick advance.
“There is not enough power to achieve the desired results faster. But this does not mean that we should give up, that we have to surrender,” the President said. “We are confident in our actions. We fight for what is ours.”
Zelenskyy says some positive takeaways from the last few months of the offensive were:
- Ukraine's incremental territorial gains against a better-armed and fortified adversary;
However, Zelenskyy is not fixated on the past but is instead concentrating on the next phase, which involves enhancing domestic arms production, according to AP. A substantial portion of Ukraine's budget is earmarked for this purpose, but the current production levels fall significantly short of what's needed to change the course of the war. As a result, Zelenskyy is seeking support from Western allies, including the US, in the form of advantageous loans and contracts to achieve this objective.
“This is the way out,” Zelenskyy said, adding that nothing terrifies Russia more than a militarily self-sufficient Ukraine.
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