Ukraine war: Zelensky says Ukraine needs more time for offensive

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his state needs much clip to motorboat a long-waited counteroffensive against Russia, arsenic the subject inactive needs promised Western aid.

The expected onslaught could beryllium decisive successful the war, redrawing frontlines that, for months, person remained unchanged.

It volition beryllium a important trial for Ukraine, anxious to beryllium the assistance has received tin effect successful large battlefield gains.

"With [what we have] we tin spell guardant and beryllium successful," the president said.

"But we'd suffer a batch of people. I deliberation that's unacceptable," helium said astatine his office successful Kyiv, successful an interrogation for nationalist work broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, similar the BBC.

"So we request to wait. We inactive request a spot much time."

The president described combat brigades, immoderate of which were trained by Nato countries, arsenic being "ready" but said the service inactive needed "some things", including armoured vehicles that were "arriving successful batches".

When and wherever the Ukrainian propulsion volition hap is simply a secret. Russian forces person fortified their defences on a frontline 1,450km (900 miles) agelong which runs from the eastbound regions of Luhansk and Donetsk to Zaporizhzhia and Kherson successful the south.

In caller weeks, Ukrainian authorities tried to little expectations of a breakthrough, some publically and successful private.

A elder authorities official, who spoke connected information of anonymity, said the country's leaders "understood that [they] needed to beryllium successful" but that the battle should not beryllium seen arsenic a "silver bullet" successful a warfare present astir into its 15th month.

The president, however, expressed assurance that the Ukrainian subject could advance, informing of the risks of a "frozen conflict" which, helium said, was what Russia was "counting on".

For Kyiv, immoderate effect that is seen arsenic disappointing successful the West could mean a simplification successful subject enactment and unit to negociate with Russia.

With astir a 5th of the state nether Russian control, and President Vladimir Putin declaring the annexation of 4 regions his forces partially occupy, this would perchance see discussions astir onshore concessions.

"Everyone volition person an idea," President Zelensky said. "[But] they can't unit Ukraine into surrendering territories. Why should immoderate state of the satellite springiness Putin its territory?"

Mr Zelensky dismissed fears astir losing US enactment if President Joe Biden, who has vowed to enactment Ukraine arsenic agelong arsenic it takes, is not re-elected successful 2024.

Ukraine, helium said, inactive enjoyed bipartisan enactment successful the US Congress. "Who knows wherever we'll beryllium [when the predetermination happens]?" helium said. "I judge we'll triumph by then."

For now, determination is nary existent anticipation of talks to extremity the conflict, arsenic some sides accidental they volition combat until victory.

President Zelensky has offered a 10-point bid proposal, calling for the instrumentality of each invaded territory, reparation payments for war-related damages and the instauration of a peculiar tribunal to prosecute Russian warfare crimes, a program that Moscow has flatly rejected.

Western sanctions, the president said, were having an interaction connected Russia's defence industry, mentioning depleted missiles stockpiles and shortages of artillery.

"They inactive person a batch successful their warehouses but… we already spot that they've reduced shelling per time successful immoderate areas."

Moscow, however, had recovered ways to bypass immoderate of the measures, helium said, and helium urged countries to people those helping Russia circumvent the bans.

Mr Zelensky again rejected the Russian accusation that Ukraine was down an alleged drone onslaught connected the Kremlin past week, which was described by Moscow arsenic an effort to assassinate President Putin.

The Ukrainian person said helium believed the evident onslaught could person been a mendacious emblem operation, carried retired by Russia itself, and that the assertion was being utilized arsenic an "excuse" by Moscow to onslaught his country.

"They perpetually look for thing to dependable similar a justification, saying: 'You bash this to us, truthful we bash that to you,'" President Zelensky said.

"But it didn't work. Even for their home public, it didn't work. Even their ain propagandists didn't judge that. Because it looked very, precise artificial."

The president spoke arsenic the Eurovision opus contention was being held successful the English metropolis of Liverpool, which was chosen arsenic a big connected behalf of Ukraine, the victor of past year's event.

He said helium would person preferred to spot the contention successful a neighbouring state "to wherever our radical could question to and beryllium precise close" but that helium had "lots of respect" for Britain, an "amazing country".

"The main happening is that the contention is taking place," helium said. "Let the radical amusement their talent."

Additional reporting by Rachael Thorn, Hanna Chornous and Dave Bull