Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted Wednesday that the progress of Kyiv’s counteroffensive to recapture Russian-occupied territory has been “slower than desired.”
In an interview with the BBC, Zelenskyy said, “Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It’s not.”
“What’s at stake is people’s lives” he added.
Ukraine in recent weeks has ramped up efforts to reclaim its territory but, while Kyiv says it has liberated eight villages in the country’s south and east, progress has been slow against heavily fortified Russian lines.
But Zelenskyy was defiant. “Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best,” he said in the interview. Last fall, Ukraine recaptured swathes of occupied territory with a lightning-quick counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region.
Zelenskyy also hit back at Vladimir Putin who last week accused him of being a “disgrace” to the Jewish people, comparing the Russian president to Adolf Hitler.
“It’s like he doesn’t fully understand his words. Apologies, but it’s like he is the second king of antisemitism after Hitler,” Zelenskyy said.
