Zelenskyy believes counteroffensive slows down as Western weapons arrive late

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine's counteroffensive has been "slowed down" by fortified Russian defences, and he wished that Western arms supplies had allowed Ukraine to launch an offensive "much earlier".

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with CNN

Quote: "I’m grateful to the US as the leaders of our support. But I told them as well as the European leaders that we would like to start our counteroffensive earlier, and we need all the weapons and materiel for that. Why? Simply because if we start later, it will go slower."

Details: Zelenskyy said that the military could not "even think of starting" any offensives in some areas of the front as they lacked "the relevant weapons".

He added that the challenges on the battlefield are now resulting in a "slowed down" counteroffensive.

Quote: "I wanted our counteroffensive to happen much earlier, because everyone understood that if the counteroffensive unfolds later, then a bigger part of our territory will be mined. We give our enemy the time and possibility to place more mines and prepare their defensive lines."

Details: Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated that while the counter-offensive is ongoing, the main strike is yet to come.

As the president put it, "the later we start, the more difficult it will be for us".

He also stressed his request for F-16 fighter jets: "It’s not even about the Ukrainian advantage in the sky over the Russians. This is only about being equal. F-16s help not only those on the battlefield to move forward. It is simply very difficult without cover from the air."

Background: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the ultimate goal of Ukraine under his leadership is the liberation of Crimea, and only then will it mean that "the war is over", and Zelenskyy will not consider "peace" without Crimea a "victory".

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