Media reports have mooted various dates for the start of an attack, but the commencement of Kiev’s much-ballyhooed counteroffensive has been postponed several times already. Among the reasons the reports mentioned were the slow delivery of Western equipment, bad weather and huge losses suffered by Ukrainian troops in Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine).
Kiev ‘needs more time’ before counteroffensive – Zelensky
"Ukrainian troops are “ready” to mount a long-touted counteroffensive against Russia, but still need more time and equipment before conditions are optimal, President Vladimir Zelensky has told Western media.
“We’d lose a lot of people,” Zelensky said regarding the potential consequences of launching the operation immediately. “I think that’s unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time.”
> The Ukrainian leader was speaking to journalists from the Eurovision News network, and was cited on Thursday by the BBC.
Zelensky specifically noted to the journalists that more armored vehicles are required by the Ukrainian army, insisted that his government was eager to use weapons provided by its Western backers and claimed Russia wants to freeze the conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, stated this week that the Russian military was still holding back against Ukraine.
“Waging war… means the full destruction of infrastructure, the full destruction of cities,” the official said, adding that Russia is “trying to preserve people’s lives.”
Zelensky rejected the notion that Kiev would be compelled by its foreign backers to negotiate should the counteroffensive fail, arguing that they “can’t pressure Ukraine into surrendering territories.”
Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised efforts by Washington and its allies to prepare Kiev for military action, describing them as “very productive.”
Ukraine has received weapons, maintenance, the training of troops, and “the right plans,” the US official told journalists.
“They have in place across all of those dimensions what they need to continue to be successful in regaining territory,” Blinken assessed.
The UK has reportedly provided Ukraine with new military capabilities by delivering air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles. The weapons have a range of up to 300km (200 miles), further than any Western arms previously sent to Kiev.
Ukraine has long requested more sophisticated weapons, claiming they are necessary to gain the advantage over Russia. The Kiev government has also urged its Western backers to provide F-16 fighter jets to replenish its dwindling fleet of Soviet-made warplanes, but has thus far not been granted its wish.
Ukraine needs a 'bit more time' to prepare for counteroffensive — Zelensky
LONDON, May 11. /TASS/. The Ukrainian army needs a little bit more time to prepare for Kiev’s much-vaunted counteroffensive, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said in an interview with European media outlets, including the BBC, published on Thursday.
"With [what we already have] we can go forward, and, I think, be successful. But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So, we need to wait. We still need a bit more time," Zelensky said.
As follows from Zelensky’s statement, those Ukrainian brigades formed especially for the counteroffensive are already fully ready to take part in combat operations, but the army still needs "certain things," including armored vehicles, which are "arriving in batches."
The Ukrainian president also stated that those who are calling for peace talks to start as soon as possible could not force Ukraine to surrender its territories. He noted that Kiev was not afraid of losing support from Washington after the next US presidential election in November 2024, because, according to Zelensky, both the Democrats and the Republicans are allies of Ukraine.
The issue of a potential counterattack by the Ukrainian army has been discussed in the Ukrainian media for several months. A buildup of Ukrainian reserves was noted in the Zaporozhye area recently. Media reports have mooted various dates for the start of an attack, but the commencement of Kiev’s much-ballyhooed counteroffensive has been postponed several times already. Among the reasons the reports mentioned were the slow delivery of Western equipment, bad weather and huge losses suffered by Ukrainian troops in Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine).
British defense chief confirms supplies of Storm Shadow missiles to Kiev
LONDON, May 11. /TASS/. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has confirmed that London is sending Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles to Kiev.
While addressing the House of Commons on Thursday, Wallace described the move as "a calibrated and proportionate response to Russia’s escalations." "The use of Storm Shadow will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based within Ukrainian sovereign territory," the British defense chief stated.
He added that he could not go into detail about the missile supplies but it’s clear from what he said that the range of the missiles that are being provided to Kiev stands at 250-300 kilometers. They will complement other long-range systems which have already been gifted to Ukraine, including HIMARS and Harpoon missiles, as well as Ukrainian-made Neptune cruise missiles, Wallace said.
According to him, these weapons will allow Ukraine to deter Russia’s Armed Forces, which, in his words, are targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in breach of international law.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed during a visit to Kiev on February 8 that the UK planned to send "longer-range weapons" to Ukraine.
In late April, the British Defense Ministry issued a procurement notice, inviting suppliers to deliver "missiles or rockets with a range 100-300 km; land, sea or air launch. Payload 20-490 kg." Other desirable requirements included a "low probability of intercept," "mission planning capability," and "air defense penetration methods to increase probability of successful strike." The notice was issued through the International Fund for Ukraine, and the application period ended on May 4.
Trump says he would meet with Putin to settle Ukrainian conflict
NEW YORK, May 11. /TASS/. Former US President Donald Trump said he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Vladimir Zelensky, to end the conflict in Ukraine.
"I don’t think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people," he said during a CNN town hall program. Trump explained that if he was president, he would resolve the conflict within 24 hours. "Russians and Ukrainians, I want them to stop dying," the politician said. "And I’ll have that done in 24 hours."
Trump added that he considered Putin to be very smart. However, in the former US president’s opinion, "Putin made a mistake" by launching the special military operation.
He also pointed out that it was not the time to label the Russian president a war criminal. "If you say he’s [Putin] a war criminal, it’s going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to make this thing stopped," Trump said. He also added that it was something that "should be discussed later."
READ MORE: Conditions for Ukrainian counteroffensive ‘not in place’ – top German general
Conditions for Ukrainian counteroffensive ‘not in place’ – top German general
Weather conditions for Ukraine's much-anticipated counteroffensive are still not right, the Inspector General of the German Armed Forces, Carsten Breuer, has told the nation’s dpa news agency. Preparations for the operation are in full swing, he claimed, having returned from a two day visit to Kiev last week, adding that the German-made tanks supplied to Ukraine had already seen some action.
“It was explained to me how the battle is fought on the frontlines. The ground is still muddy and moist,” Breuer said, following a two-day visit to Kiev. There, the German army chief met with the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, Valery Zaluzhny, and Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov.
“Conditions for a comprehensive offensive were not yet in place in the last few weeks,” the German general admitted, adding that some fields in Ukraine still look like “large lakes.” Kiev has nonetheless assured him that “plans for the Ukrainian offensive are underway,” Breuer said.
He pointed out that Germany’s Leopard battle tanks had already been used in the fighting. “It was made clear to me that [they] are in action,” he stated, noting that Ukrainians now have enough equipment to “survive in combat.” He admitted, however, that Kiev’s “requirements will adapt over time.”
The German Armed Forces chief spoke in favor of further military aid to Ukraine, arguing that Kiev’s troops were supposedly “fighting for all of us.” Before arriving in Kiev, Breuer also inspected the Western logistics system in Poland used to deliver military equipment and supplies to Ukraine.
The long-awaited counteroffensive was originally expected to start in the spring – even as early as late winter – but has not materialized thus far. Many Ukrainian and Western officials have since urged the public not to set their expectations for the operation too high. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s aide, Mikhail Podoliak, said on Tuesday that the much-touted offensive should not be treated as a make-or-break moment in the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, Washington has warned that it is Moscow that may launch an offensive shortly. As soon as the weather improves, one can expect “Russians to want to go on the offensive in some areas,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said last week.
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