Ukraine's President Zelensky, speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, June 21, admitted that Ukraine's progress on the battlefield has been slower than desired in its offensive against Russia.
“Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It's not,” he told the BBC.
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“What's at stake is people's lives.”
The Ukrainian counter-offensive has retaken eight villages, but Zelensky explained that progress was being hamstrung by the presence of huge numbers of landmines that Russia has laid across nearly 200,000 sq km of Ukrainian territory. He declared that Ukraine was determined to advance on the battlefield as it sees fit and appropriate, in spite of external pressures to speed up.
“Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best,” Zelensky added.
While seeking security guarantees from NATO, Zelensky expressed the ultimate goal of Ukraine's membership in the defensive alliance.
“[Jens] Stoltenberg knows my position,” the Ukrainian leader said “We've told them numerous times: ‘Don't knock the ground from under our feet.’”
Zelensky affirmed that Ukraine would not accept a frozen conflict, regardless of the battlefield gains, as it would result in a bleak future for the country.
“No matter how far we advance in our counter-offensive, we will not agree to a frozen conflict because that is war, that is a prospectless development for Ukraine.”
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He acknowledged the danger posed by Russia, especially with the reported relocation of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. When asked about President Putin's threats of the use of nuclear weapons, Zelensky believed Putin would refrain from such actions out of fear for his own life.
“He will talk about the use of nuclear weapons, I don't think he is ready to do it because he is scared for his life, he loves it a lot. But there is no way I could say for sure, especially about a person with no ties to reality, who in the 21st Century, launched a full-scale war against their neighbor.”
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