UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, that the delays in providing military assistance allowed Russia to create stronger defenses.
In a CNN interview released on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had hoped to launch its counteroffensive against Russia much sooner, however, it was delayed due to the lack of Western-supplied weapons.
The Ukrainian president said that Kyiv knew about the delays and that it would result in slower progress.
He said, and quote, 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.
“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,” Pres. Volodymyr zelenskyy, Ukraine said.
He went on to reiterate calls for the West to provide F-16 fighter jets, while other countries have already started to train Ukrainian pilots to fly such warplanes.
However, earlier this week, NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Rob Bauer warned that the issue of shipments will not be solved in the short term for the counter-offensive.
But Zelenskyy said that Ukraine receiving F-16 jets is not about giving Ukraine an advantage in the sky over Russian forces, but rather, only about being equal.
Meanwhile, as for Ukraine’s accession to NATO, the white house said Ukraine must first implement reforms before joining.
Asked whether Kyiv would be offered a clear pathway to NATO membership at the upcoming NATO Summit in Lithuania, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that
“And the president has said — he has said this over and over again: Ukraine would have to make reforms to meet the same standards as any NATO country before they join. He said this thinks — he thinks that this can be do- — can — can be done — that Ukraine can do that.”
Although the press secretary did not specify the reforms that Ukraine would need to do, U.S. President Joe Biden previously said that NATO would not create special conditions for Ukraine to join and that it would be required to meet the same criteria as any other country seeking NATO membership.
It can be remembered that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in a meeting in June reportedly talked about a scheme to simplify Ukraine’s accession process.
Reports say Stoltenberg’s plan would not make Ukraine complete a membership action plan that is usually required of NATO applicants.
Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly opposed Ukraine’s plan to join NATO, and the military bloc’s expansion, saying that it is a threat to Russian security, and has listed the neutrality of Ukraine as one of the conditions for peace between Moscow and Kyiv.
