Ukraine’s defense minister on Sunday criticized the West’s “unwillingness” to send fighter jets to his country, fearing an escalation of the conflict with Russia, an uncertainty that he said will “cost more lives”.
Referring to “delay or reluctance” in supplying these weapons to Ukraine, Oleksii Reznikov assured during a press conference that Kiev will win anyway, but “it will cost more lives”.
The Ukrainian minister also assured that the long-range weapons that the West promised to supply to Ukraine will not be used to hit Russian territory, but only the occupied territories.
“We have always stated to our partners that we are committed not to use weapons [fornecidas por] foreign partners against the territory of Russia, but only in their units in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine”, he said.
The United States has promised to send missiles to Kiev that can nearly double the range of Ukrainian fire and hit deep into Russian supply lines.
However, Westerners fear that Kiev could use these resources to launch attacks on Russian territory, leading to a dangerous escalation of the conflict.
Germany’s chancellor said in an interview on Sunday that there is “a consensus” with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky that weapons supplied by the West should not be used for attacks on Russian territory.
“There is a consensus on this point,” Olaf Scholz told the weekly Bild am Sonntag of Ukraine’s allies’ decision to supply tanks and long-range missiles.
According to Reznikov, the Russians “moved their headquarters, command posts, ammunition and fuel supplies within 100 kilometers of [da linha da frente]so that they cannot be reached by the Ukrainians.
“This makes the situation difficult for them from a logistical point of view, but still allows them to prepare to move forward,” continued Reznikov, who reaffirmed that he expected a full-scale Russian offensive in February.
The minister believed that Western weapons “will not have time to arrive before” this offensive, but that the Ukrainians will have “resources and reserves” to resist.
Russian troops have made little progress in recent weeks in the east, where most of the fighting takes place, increasing pressure especially on the city of Bakhmut, the epicenter of the conflict.
Asked about a possible withdrawal of Bakhmut, Reznikov assured this Sunday that the city is still “a fortress, a symbol” but that the decision will be left to the Ukrainian General Staff.
Ukraine’s allies promised to supply “between 120 and 140” Western-made tanks from various countries. Germany will supply 14 Leopard 2 tanks. Portugal will also supply the Ukrainian armed forces with Leopard 2 tanks, Prime Minister António Costa announced, without saying how many.
In addition to the tanks, Ukraine will also receive Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) missiles, which can nearly double the range of the Ukrainian strike force, the Pentagon announced on Friday.
These missiles can hit a target 150 kilometers away, threatening Russian positions behind the front lines.
The Russian invasion, justified by Putin with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security, was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing political and economic sanctions. to impose on Russia.
Defense minister promises internal audits after corruption cases
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov vowed on Sunday to conduct “internal audits” at his ministry following a corruption scandal linked to army supplies.
Reznikov acknowledged that his ministry’s anti-corruption services have “failed to fulfill their duties” and announced that an “internal audit of all government procurement” has been launched, also promising “an audit of international technical assistance”.
As Kiev sees an increase in Western military equipment and pressure mounts to dispel doubts about corruption in the Ukrainian political system, the defense minister has pledged greater transparency and control in his sphere of government influence.
Reznikov, however he evaded the possibility of resigning, a hypothesis put forward by several Ukrainian media outlets, replying only that the decision rests with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
At the end of last month, Ukraine was rocked by a series of layoffs in the context of a corruption scandal exposed by the press linked to a contract signed by the Defense Ministry for allegedly overvalued food products intended for soldiers.
Source: DN
