Tag: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Long-Anticipated Ukraine Counter-offensive Soon: Zelenskyy

By LokMarg

The first important steps of a highly-anticipated military counteroffensive against Russian forces would be taken soon, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he met with European partners providing his country with weapons, CNN reported.

Talking with reporters in Rome after meetings with his Italian counterpart and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces were “preparing very seriously.”
“There will definitely be very serious steps. I cannot tell you (when) but you will definitely see it and Russia will definitely feel it,” he said, adding, “We believe in victory and believe that the first important steps will be taken soon.”

Last week, senior US and Western military officials told CNN that Ukrainian forces had started “shaping” operations ahead of the counteroffensive.

In order to prepare the battlefield for advancing forces, shaping involves attacking targets such as weapons depots, command posts, and armour and artillery systems. It’s a standard tactic performed before significant joint operations, CNN reported.

After a “long and fruitful” discussion with Zelenskyy on Saturday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni promised constant support for Ukraine and added that Rome would back any future application by Kyiv to join NATO.

“We are ready to support a further intensification of Ukraine’s partnership with NATO, we will discuss it in Vilnius at the July summit, it will probably be the central theme,” Meloni added.

Earlier, Zelenskyy also met Pope Francis, who has been open in his support for putting an end to the violence in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy and Francis discussed the humanitarian and political crisis in Ukraine during their meeting at the Vatican on Saturday, and the Pope offered his “constant prayer,” according to a statement from the Vatican press office, reported CNN.

According to the statement, “Both agreed on the need to continue humanitarian efforts to support the population.”

Zelenskyy said last week that his nation still requires “a bit more time” before launching the counteroffensive in order to let some additional delivery of the promised Western military supplies, as per CNN.

Among those Western supporters is Germany, where Zelenskyy landed on Sunday, his first trip there since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in February, CNN reported.

“Already in Berlin. Weapons. Powerful package. Air defence. Reconstruction. EU. NATO. Security,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.

On Saturday, the German Defence Ministry announced that it would give Ukraine an additional USD 3 billion in military aid, including 30 tanks.

This came after a significant policy reversal by Berlin earlier this year, when it said it would give Kyiv Leopard 2 assault tanks. Due to Berlin’s long-standing policy of not delivering lethal weapons to conflict areas, Germany originally resisted requests to arm Ukraine, CNN reported. (ANI)

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Evil Russia Will Be Defeated Like Nazi Germany: Zelenskyy

By LokMarg

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed that the “evil” Russia will be defeated just like Nazi Germany was beaten in World War II, according to the Kyiv Post.

In a speech to mark Victory in Europe Day, Zelenskyy said, “All the old evil that modern Russia is bringing back will be defeated just as Nazism was defeated,” Zelensky said in a video statement standing in front of a war memorial.

“Just as we destroyed evil together then, we are destroying a similar evil together now,” he added.

Zelenskyy also announced that he had submitted a Bill to parliament to formally commemorate World War II in Ukraine on May 8 and celebrate Europe Day on May 9. This is yet another step to distance his country from the traditions of Russia, reported Kyiv Post.

His address comes on the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s surrender to Allied forces on May 8, 1945, and one day ahead of Victory Day in Moscow, which celebrates the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, Zerlenskyy tweeted, “It is on May 8 that most nations of the world remember the greatness of the victory over the Nazis. The world admires all those who were protecting and protected life. Who threw down the Nazi flags on the liberated territory and who opened the gates of the concentration camps. Who restored freedom to the nations, who destroyed and condemned Nazi evil.”

“It is on May 8 that the world honours the memory of all those, whose lives were taken by that war. It is pure history, without ideological admixtures. And it is the history of our people, our allies, the entire free world. Today, we are returning it to our state. Today, I submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine proposing that May 8 be the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in the Second World War of 1939-1945,” he added.

The Ukrainian President conveyed his condolences to all those people who died in the Second World War. “Glory to each and every one who fought against Nazism and won! Glory to all our heroes of different times, to whom we equally owe our lives!” he added.

Meanwhile, Russia fired eight long-range missiles at the city overnight Sunday, Ukraine’s air force said in a statement, CNN reported.

At least one person was killed and three were injured in that missile attack which strikes on the southern port city of Odesa on Monday, according to the spokesman for the head of the regional military administration.

“A guard at the warehouse where an enemy missile hit was killed. His body was found under the rubble,” the spokesperson wrote on Telegram.

“Around midnight, the Russian occupiers attacked Odesa Oblast with Tu-22M3 long-range bombers. A total of eight missiles were launched from the area of Cape Tarkhankut (occupied Crimea),” the air force said, adding: “Some of the missiles did not reach their targets,” according to CNN. (ANI)