Ukrainian President, Volodimir Zelenskyhas declared this Sunday that he is convinced that his country is “almost ready” for a victory in the anticipated counteroffensive with which Ukraine wants take back territory occupied by Russia after the invasion. Zelensky has also denied that this military action is aimed at attacking Russian territory.
Zelensky meets with the Pope: 40 minutes to seek peace in Ukraine
Further
The president has affirmed that Ukraine does not attack Russian territory because “we do not have any weapons with which we could do it.” Regarding the counteroffensive, Zelensky added that he intends to “vacate the illegally conquered territories, according to our Constitution, within the framework of our legitimate borders recognized throughout the world.”
The Ukrainian leader made these statements at a press conference in Berlin after a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Zelensky has been forced to clarify the intentions of the counteroffensive after the publication in the newspaper The Washington Post of communications intercepted by the US Pentagon and in which the leader raised the possibility of carrying out attacks inside Russia to gain weight at the negotiating table.
The documents to which you have had access The Washington Post are part of the leak of intelligence files last April. The communications refer to Zelensky’s conversations with his team that took place in January and February but have come to light now, on the same dates that Ukraine is expected to launch a counteroffensive that could be decisive in the course of the conflict.
This offensive, however, is marked by harsh conditions from the countries that support Kiev and that have provided it with weapons. Zelenski was precisely this Sunday in Berlin, where the German Chancellery had announced just one day before the largest aid package granted so far, worth 2.7 billion euros.
Like Germany, the US has also made the delivery of these weapons conditional on their being used in defense operations, never to attack Russian forces inside Russian territory. But the documents you cite The Washington Post refer to Zelensky suggesting that Ukraine “carry out attacks in Russia” and “occupy specific border towns” with the aim of “giving Kiev more weight in negotiations with Moscow.”
After denying that any such attack will take place, Zelensky added that he believes that his country is “almost ready for victory” and that Ukraine believes that “victory will be ours.” The Ukrainian leader has acknowledged that “there is a risk” that some allies will reconsider their support if the counteroffensive does not obtain the expected results, but he added that these are the governments from which he has received the least support so far.
During his visit to Berlin, Zelenski thanked Chancellor Scholz for his political, financial and military support and recognized that Germany is the second country, only behind the US, in aid provided to Ukraine. Scholz has made it clear that kyiv can count on Germany to continue to help. “We will help them for as long as necessary,” said the foreign minister, for whom it is Russia that depends on ending the war with the withdrawal of its troops from Ukrainian territory.
