After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged last week that his forces’ advance in the counteroffensive against Russian forces was “slower than they would like,” he returned and reopened the discussion on the matter.
On Thursday, Zelenskiy confirmed that the Ukrainian counterattack was “not fast,” but Kyiv forces were advancing.
We don’t retreat like the Russians!
He told journalists from Prague, along with Czech President Petr Pavel, that the attack was not quick, and that this is a fact, but nevertheless Kiev is making progress and is not retreating like the Russians, as he put it, adding: “Now we are holding the initiative.”
The announcement came days after statements by the Ukrainian president suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin would try to consolidate his power following a brief mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin-led Wagner mercenaries on June 24.
At the same time, many Ukrainian officials confirmed that their country’s forces achieved important results and returned several villages that were occupied by the Russians.
However, Moscow downplayed these “claims”, claiming that its forces would thwart this attack and bury it on their soil.
Meanwhile, many observers expect that the battles will not be easy for both sides, and that the war will last even longer, in light of the blocking of any horizon for a solution or the possibility of resuming negotiations between the two sides.
joining NATO
Notably, Zelenskiy arrived in the Czech capital Prague on Thursday as part of a tour to mobilize support to speed up his country’s path to join NATO ahead of his summit next week.
During the summit, which will be held July 11 and 12 in the Lithuanian capital, Kyiv is seeking a clear signal from NATO that it can get membership when the war with Russia ends.
While Ukraine wants to join as soon as possible, NATO members disagree on the speed of such a move, with some countries worried about moves they fear could move the alliance closer to de facto war with Russia.
