Zelensky: War with Russia is in new phase as winter approaches
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the war with Russia is entering a new stage with the onset of winter, which could complicate the fighting at the front.
He said this in an interview with AP, Ukrinform reports.
"We have a new phase of the war, and this is a fact. Winter in general is a new phase of the war," Zelensky said.
However, according to him, despite the setbacks, Ukraine will not give up.
Also in the interview, Zelensky was asked whether he was satisfied with the results of the counteroffensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "Look, we are not retreating, I am satisfied. We are fighting the second largest army in the world [Russia], I am satisfied," he said.
But he added: "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."
"We wanted faster results. From this point of view, unfortunately, we have not achieved the desired results. And this is a fact," the President noted.
According to him, Ukraine did not receive all the weapons it needed from its allies, and the limitations in the size of its military force prevented the Ukrainian military from advancing quickly.
"We do not have enough forces to achieve the desired results faster. But this does not mean that we should give up, that we should surrender. We are confident in our actions. We are fighting for what is ours," Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader noted that on November 25, Moscow carried out the largest drone attack during the war, with most of the 75 Shaheds targeting Kyiv.
"Therefore, the winter war is difficult," Zelensky said.
He emphasized that over the past few months, the Ukrainian military has achieved some positive results at the front. Thus, according to him, Ukraine has managed to achieve certain territorial gains in battles against a better-armed and fortified enemy. In addition, the President added, the power of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has decreased after the Armed Forces' attacks, when they managed to break through the air defense system and strike at its headquarters in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
At the same time, Zelensky, according to AP, is concerned that the war between Israel and Hamas threatens to overshadow the conflict in Ukraine, as competing political agendas and limited resources threaten the flow of Western military aid to Kyiv.
"We are already seeing the consequences of the international community's change of focus due to the tragedy in the Middle East. Only the blind do not notice this," he said.
According to him, Ukrainians understand "that we also need to fight for attention to a full-scale war." "We must not allow people to forget about the war here," the President noted.
"You see, attention equals help. Lack of attention means lack of help. We are fighting for every bit of attention. Without attention, there may be weakness in the US Congress," he said.
"In the case of Ukraine, if we fail to resist today due to lack of assistance, lack of weapons and funding, it will mean that Russia will most likely invade NATO countries. And then American children will fight," he said.
As reported by Ukrinform, in an interview with The Sun, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine's will to defeat Russia in the war remains strong.