Speaking during a press conference alongside the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered insights into Ukraine’s approach in response to an article in The Economist featuring comments from Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy addressed the ongoing situation on the front lines, emphasizing that it is not a stalemate but rather a challenging circumstance that requires careful consideration and strategic planning.
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief reveals his strategy to defeat Russia
Zaluzhnyi had recently characterized the situation as reaching a “dead end” on the front lines and indicated a transition to positional warfare, where Ukraine might not have a distinct advantage.
President Zelenskyy acknowledged the challenges yet stated, “How do we overcome this? F-16s are on the way; we need to wait for our guys to learn how to use them when they return. When we have air defense systems in place, our soldiers can move forward and utilize military equipment.”
Zelenskyy stressed the importance of not losing hope and surrendering a portion of their nation, stating, “We cannot afford to give up. What’s the alternative? Should we relinquish a third of our state? This would only be the beginning. We know what a frozen conflict means; we have drawn our own conclusions.”
Zelenskyy also emphasized the need for closer collaboration with international partners, particularly in bolstering air defense capabilities and unblocking the airspace to enable Ukrainian troops to carry out offensive actions.
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