Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference and Vladimir Putin at a meeting with top military officials took stock of the progress and setbacks of the final months of conflict and foresaw the next chapters of a war with no end in sight. While the Russian leader, with an optimism that has been impossible for months, reaffirmed that he will not give up on achieving the goals he set for himself when he launched the invasion of Ukraine – demilitarization and denazification of the neighboring country – the Ukrainian president said that he would rely on international support and the resistance of the population.
Patriots on the move
One of Zelensky’s most relevant announcements at the press conference is that his country will have more air defense. “This winter is different, with losses and challenges. But we are becoming stronger and more powerful. There will be several new Patriot systems in Ukraine to protect our country in winter,” he assured, without mentioning the number of systems.
While he said he was optimistic about early assistance from Western partners, he stressed the need to strengthen the defense industry. In this regard, he announced the production of “one million drones” by 2024. “It is very bad if in the field of logistics we still have the old Soviet bureaucracy. We had 20,000 drones in a warehouse and for some reason we couldn’t get them to the front line.”
Regarding human resources, which are scarce in the army, Zelensky reported that the armed forces proposed mobilizing 450,000 to 500,000 people to continue the fight against the Russian invasion. However, he said he had not yet made a decision, although he assured that he would not force women to be part of the draft.
Russian initiative
At a meeting with senior Defense and Armed Forces officials, Vladimir Putin stated that the initiative for the war in Ukraine is Russian and that he will not give up the objectives of the so-called special military operation. ‘Assessment of the situation on the ground, at the front [de batalha], it can safely be said that our troops have the initiative. In short: we do what we consider necessary, we do what we want. When our commanders deem it necessary to keep the defense active, they do so and we improve our positions where necessary,” he said.
Putin admitted that “2023 was an exciting year for the armed forces,” but that the military “professionally” fulfilled its mission and “guaranteed the country’s sovereignty at the global level, nuclear parity and Russia’s strategic security.” According to estimates by the online newspaper Mozhem Obyasnit, based on the 2024 budget proposal, which awards compensation to the families of fallen soldiers, more than a hundred thousand Russian soldiers will have died.
However, now is the time to point out Ukraine’s alleged weaknesses. “The enemy suffered heavy losses and to a large extent wasted its reserves, trying to show at least some results of its so-called counter-offensive to its masters,” Putin said, adding that “the myth of the invulnerability of Western weapons also fell to the ground.”
“All attempts by the West to defeat us militarily, a strategic defeat, were destroyed by the courage and steadfastness of our soldiers, the growing power of our armed forces and the potential of our military industries,” Putin said.
The Russian president, who assured last week that Russia has no interest in a conflict with NATO, believed that “the West will not give up the strategy of containing Russia nor its aggressive objectives in Ukraine.” He added: “We also have no intention of giving up the objectives of the special military operation.”
The Russian leader accused the West of continuing its “hybrid war” against the Kremlin by supplying Kiev with “real-time” security information and modern weapons, from rocket launchers, long-range missiles, ammunition and drones. “And, as we know, it plans to supply F-16 fighters to Ukraine and pilot training is already underway.”
Still, he stated that Russia is open to talks to end the conflict, but on its terms. “We will not give up what is ours. If they want to talk, let’s start the talks. But we will act based on our interests.”
For now, there have been repeated warnings from Western officials. After North American President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, it was the turn of the head of the Belgian armed forces, who said they believed that Russia could attack Moldova or the Baltic states in the near future. “Europe must urgently prepare and make it clear that it can defend itself” and that it “will counterattack if necessary,” said Michek Hofman.
“Most Capable Army”
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu highlighted the capabilities of what he considers the “best prepared and capable army in the world, armed with advanced, battle-tested weapons.”
Shoigu said that 650,000 Russian soldiers had gained combat experience in Ukraine and that some of them mined the fields over a distance of 7,000 kilometers, preventing the Ukrainian counter-offensive. “Despite the sanctions, we produce more high-tech weapons than NATO countries,” he said.
According to Shoigu, the armed forces received more than 1,500 new and modernized tanks, more than 2,500 armored vehicles and 237 aircraft and helicopters. The report stated that since the beginning of the invasion, the Russian arms industry has increased the production of tanks by 5.6 times, the number of drones built by 16.8 times and the production of artillery ammunition by 17.5 times.
The minister also announced that the Russian armed forces were finalizing preparations to put the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile into combat service.
Ambassador thanks Portuguese support
The Ukrainian ambassador to Portugal, Maryna Mykhailenko, has made an offer vyshyvanka (traditional embroidered shirt) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs João Gomes Cravinho during a reception in Lisbon, as a thank you to the Portuguese who have distinguished themselves in their support and solidarity with their country.
The diplomat, who has been working in Lisbon since May, emphasized Cravinho’s role as a supporter of the Ukrainian cause and as a promoter of the country’s reconstruction plans. He also left three notes on current affairs: It’s not time to give up; it is time for justice to act regarding war crimes; the European project will not be complete without Ukraine. “There is no other country that has sacrificed so much,” he said.
Source: DN
