Zelensky said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, after an inspection tour to boost soldiers’ morale: “We have a new phase of the war, and this is a given in fact. Winter as a whole is a new phase of the war.”
When asked if he was satisfied with the outcome of the counterattack, he gave a complex answer, saying: “Look, we’re not going to retreat. I’m satisfied. We’re fighting with the second best army in the world, and I’m satisfied.”
But he added: “We’re losing people. I’m not satisfied. We didn’t get all the weapons we wanted. I can’t be satisfied, but I can’t complain too much either.”
Zelensky also said he feared that the war between Israel and Hamas could overshadow the conflict in Ukraine, where it could threaten the flow of Western military aid to Kiev.
These concerns are exacerbated by the unrest that will inevitably arise during the US election year and its potential repercussions for his country, which has seen the international community largely rally around him following the Russian attack on February 24, 2022.
The counteroffensive, supported by tens of billions of dollars in Western military aid, has not produced the desired results, and now some Ukrainian officials are wondering whether the additional aid will be as generous.
At the same time, ammunition supplies are running low, threatening to halt operations on the Ukrainian battlefield.
As winter approaches, Ukrainian military commanders face new but familiar challenges. As the conflict nears the end of its second year, subzero temperatures and parched fields leave soldiers exposed. There is also a renewed threat of Russian airstrikes. Widespread attacks on cities targeting energy infrastructure and civilians.
On November 25, Moscow launched its most comprehensive attack yet with 75 drones, and most of these Iranian-made “Shahed” drones targeted the city of Kiev, setting a worrying precedent.
“That’s why the winter war is difficult,” Zelensky said.
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