Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has again acknowledged the slow pace of Kyiv's ongoing counteroffensive, as Ukrainian leaders build pressure on Western partners to expand military aid ahead of next week's pivotal NATO summit in Lithuania.
"We are advancing," Zelensky said during a visit to the Czech Republic on Thursday, Ukrinform reported. "We have the initiative now. The offensive is not fast, that is a fact. But, nevertheless, we are moving forward and not moving backward like the Russians. Therefore, I see this as a positive."
Ukrainian forces have reported progress at multiple points along the 800-mile front since the long-awaited counteroffensive was launched in early June.
Brigadier General Oleksii Hromov—the deputy chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Ukrainian armed forces—told Ukrinform this week that Kyiv's forces have liberated nine settlements and more than 60 square miles of territory since the operation began.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry by email to request comment.
Analysts believe the current Ukrainian attacks are probing operations designed to stretch Russia's forces and identify weak spots, at which more concentrated assaults will then be launched. However, the slow pace of the counteroffensive has raised concerns that Ukrainian forces will not be able to repeat last year's successes on the battlefield that saw Kyiv's troops liberate areas north of Kyiv, recapture much of Kharkiv Oblast, and free Kherson.
Zelensky and his top commanders are urging patience from Western partners, who reportedly want results after training thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and delivering advanced weaponry including heavy armor.
Last month, the Ukrainian president acknowledged that the counteroffensive is progressing "slower than desired," but said Kyiv's plans would not change based on outside pressure. "Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It's not," he said.
Zelensky added: "What's at stake is people's lives. 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 is on a tour of European capitals this week drumming up support for expanded military aid and Ukraine's NATO membership ambitions, ahead of the alliance's summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, next week.
The Ukrainian president visited Bulgaria and the Czech Republic on Thursday, and on Friday travelled to Slovakia. He will also meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul on Friday.
It appears unlikely that Zelensky will attend the NATO summit in person, having told The Wall Street Journal in June "there is no point for Ukraine to be at this summit" unless it receives a positive "signal" on its membership application.
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David Brennan is Newsweek's Diplomatic Correspondent covering world politics and conflicts from London with a focus on NATO, the European ... Read more
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