NATO Secretary General Admits Serious Problems in Ukraine's Counter-Offensive

In an interview with Politico, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the counterattack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is facing serious problems, and the strengthening of the Russian Armed Forces' defense is hindering the enemy's offensive speed.

“Ukraine faces difficult terrain and strong resistance, especially from Russia's defense line,” said the NATO Secretary General.

On July 4, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's term was extended for another year, until October 1, 2024.

The decision was made right before the bloc's summit in Vilnius (Lithuania) on July 11-12, in the context that NATO needs an experienced leader when war is on the alliance's doorstep, instead of seeking consensus for a new leader.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the slow pace of the counteroffensive was due to “certain difficulties on the battlefield”. The Ukrainian leader admitted that he wanted to start the second phase of the counteroffensive “as soon as possible”. And the Ukrainian Armed Forces need weapons and ammunition.

“Why? Because if we start later, we will move much slower,” President Zelensky said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said that Ukraine's counterattack is being stifled. The Russian army is launching decisive strikes, resolutely stopping the efforts of Ukrainian soldiers.

So far, Ukrainian forces have advanced only a maximum of 6 kilometers, less than half the distance they need to cover to reach Russia's main defensive positions.

The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive will be “very difficult, very long and very, very bloody.” According to Milley, the movement of the Ukrainian Armed Forces forward could take from 6 to 10 weeks. At the same time, he called for no “illusions,” as the reality is much slower than analysts predict.