The counter-offensive carried out since June by the army of Kiev has the “objective” of liberating all of Ukraine, “no matter how long it takes”, declared to AFP the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kouleba. .
“Our goal is victory, victory in the form of the liberation of our territories within the 1991 borders. And no matter how long that takes,” Kouleba said in an interview with the AFP, about the grueling counter-offensive of its army aimed at retaking the territories occupied by Moscow.
“As long as the Ukrainian people share this goal, the Ukrainian government will move forward hand in hand with its people,” he added, while admitting that “Ukraine is paying the highest price” for a conflict that ravaged many regions of this country bordering the European Union.
In Ukraine, “we are all tired. I am tired and you are tired. We are all human. But the stakes are too high to allow fatigue to determine the nature of our decisions,” said the minister.
The 1991 borders are those of independent Ukraine at the fall of the USSR, which include the Crimea, a peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
Launched in early June, the Ukrainian counter-offensive has made it possible to retake a handful of small towns, but it comes up against Russian troops entrenched behind solid defensive lines, made up in particular of trenches and minefields.
According to the leaders in kyiv, it is progressing at a slower pace than expected.
Asked about possible pressure from its Western allies for kyiv to step up its counter-offensive, the minister replied: “We don’t feel it.”
“There is an increase in the voices of commentators and experts in the public space. It exists, but they will all disappear (…) after Ukraine’s first resounding victory in the south or east” of the country , did he declare.
Mr. Kouleba, however, said he was “a little irritated” by some comments. “The right approach for those who want it to be quick and brilliant is to join the (Ukrainian) Foreign Legion and do it quickly and brilliantly,” he said.
While the West has already sent weapons worth several tens of billions of euros to Kiev, Mr Kouleba reiterated the need to obtain more until a Ukrainian victory is achieved.
“Until we win, we will need more (weapons), we have to move forward, because war is a reality, and in that reality, we have to win. there is no other solution,” he insisted.
He also gave “guarantees” not to use on Russian territory weapons supplied by Westerners.
“If our partners ask us to give a guarantee that such and such a weapon will only be used on the territory of Ukraine, we give this guarantee and respect it”, assured the head of Ukrainian diplomacy.
“There have been a few occasions where we have made such promises and we keep them,” he added.
17/08/2023 10:46:14 – Kiev (Ukraine) (AFP) © 2023 AFP
