Zelenskyy comments on prospects of counteroffensive
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that there are prospects for a Ukrainian counteroffensive, and explained what is needed for this during an interview with AFP.
According to him, for counteroffensive actions, it is necessary to stabilize the situation at the front.
"It (the situation at the front - ed.) is unstable. You can see. Now, I would say, it's their (Russian troops — ed.) turn. They must be stopped, we will stop them, and then [we must] have the appropriate staffing of the brigades in order to count on the next steps of the counter-offensive," the head of state said.
At the same time, Zelenskyy neither confirmed nor denied that this could happen as early as 2025. The president added that he knows the timing of the start of the counteroffensive, but "can't" tell.
A new counteroffensive
In February, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with the Fox News Channel that Ukraine would prepare new counteroffensive actions.
“Of course, I’m not saying that we will just stand there. It depends on a lot of things," he said at the time.
Later, in an interview with CBS News, Zelenskyy suggested that Ukraine will not have to militarily liberate all the territories captured by Russia, but that it will be enough to reach the border in 2022 to topple the power of Vladimir Putin.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, told the Wall Street Journal that a new counteroffensive will be possible in 2025, but for this Kyiv must have sufficient support from its partners and continue to maintain its defense this year. The White House also assumes that a new counteroffensive will take place in 2025.
In May, Russia began its offensive in the north of Kharkiv Oblast. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that this may be only the first wave of a wider offensive.