President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted that the long-awaited counteroffensive in the summer and autumn did not bring the expected breakthroughs but emphasized that Ukraine is not retreating.
Zelenskyy about the Ukrainian counteroffensive
As Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, Ukraine did not achieve the desired results during the summer counteroffensive of the Armed Forces, but our defenders are not backing down.
Look, we are not retreating, I am satisfied. We are fighting with the second army in the world — I am satisfied. We are losing people — I am not satisfied. We didn't get all the weapons we wanted — I can't be satisfied, but I can't complain too much either, Zelenskyy said.
He noted that the desired results were not achieved during the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
We wanted faster results. From this point of view, unfortunately, we did not achieve the desired results. And this is a fact, the head of state emphasized.
According to him, Ukraine did not receive all the weapons it needed from the allies, and limited forces did not allow a quick offensive.
There is a lack of strength to achieve the desired results faster. But that doesn't mean we have to give up. We are confident in our actions. We are fighting for what belongs to us, the President said.
However, Zelenskyy does not dwell on the past but focuses on the next stage - expanding domestic arms production.
A significant part of the Ukrainian budget is allocated for this, but the current results are insufficient to turn the tide of the war.
Zelensky hopes that Western allies, particularly the United States, will offer favourable loans and contracts to achieve this goal.
This is a way out, Zelenskyy said, adding that nothing scares Russia more than a militarily self-sufficient Ukraine.
What is known about Ukraine's counteroffensive
We will remind you that our military launched a counteroffensive this summer at several areas of the front. Active fighting took place in the Zaporizhzhia region, namely in the direction of Melitopol and Berdyansk, as well as in the Bakhmut region of the Donetsk region. The Armed Forces managed to liberate several settlements.
However, the counteroffensive has almost stopped now. One of the main reasons for this was the minefields and defense lines of the Russians.
Earlier, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyy, said that the war is entering a new "positional" stage characterized by gruelling battles.
He emphasized that Ukraine is at risk of a protracted trench war without a combination of new technologies and a powerful technological leap. The situation has already reached a dead end due to the parties' same specialized equipment.
Due to drones, Ukraine gained a particular advantage for a while, but Russia also increased their production.
