Defense Minister Cautions Against Inflated Expectations for Counteroffensive

Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has said expectations for the country’s counteroffensive against Russian forces are “somewhat overheated.”

In a recent interview with RBK-Ukraine, he said that while Ukrainian society and the political establishment are eager for another victory, disappointment might follow if expectations are not tempered. He emphasized the complexity and unpredictability of the situation and advised against overestimating the counteroffensive’s potential outcome.

“It’s definitely overheated, everyone wants another victory. We didn’t believe in victory before. Previously, they wanted Ukraine to survive minimally so that some part of Ukraine would be preserved,” Reznikov said.

“And when the AFU [Armed Forces of Ukraine] showed success, everyone began to believe in victory – after the Snake Island, after the Kyiv region liberation, Chernihiv region, and Sumy region, after the Kharkiv region, Kherson. They want the next victory. This is normal, these are emotions – the expectation of success,” he added.

In late March, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned against framing the counteroffensive as a “decisive battle,” arguing that such rhetoric could be dangerous if the operation does not yield the expected results.

Kuleba suggested that Western powers who have supported Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression could shift their position if the counteroffensive fails to achieve its goals.

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