President Zelensky declares Ukraine is ready to counterattack
(Baonghean.vn) - On June 3, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the country is ready to launch a long-awaited counterattack to retake territory occupied by Russia.
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Ukrainian President Zelensky. Photo: Getty Images |
“We are very confident that we will succeed,” Zelensky told the Wall Street Journal. “I don’t know how long it will take. Honestly, the counterattack can be carried out in many different ways, completely different. But we will do it, and we are ready.”
The Kiev government hopes the offensive will change the dynamics of the current war, which was launched by Russia 15 months ago. Last month, President Zelensky stressed that Ukraine needed to wait for the West to provide more armored vehicles before launching a counterattack. The Ukrainian leader has been engaged in a diplomatic campaign to maintain Western support, seeking more military aid and weapons, which are key to Ukraine’s success in its plans.
In addition, President Zelensky asserted that only full membership in NATO could truly protect Ukraine as it continues to seek security guarantees from the West. “We are not looking for an alternative to NATO, and it is very important that our partners listen to us. That is why we have so many meetings at the highest level. We are not looking for an alternative,” he said. Zelensky argued that existing commitments by NATO members to defend each other would be “the best security guarantee for Ukraine.”
However, he admitted that Kiev would not be able to join NATO while the war with Russia was still going on. President Zelensky stated: “We are moral people and we understand that we will not drag any NATO member state into this war. And that is why we understand that we will not be able to become a member of NATO while this war is going on. Not because we do not want to, but because it is impossible.”
