Despite the military and financial support from Western nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Friday that Kyiv’s counteroffensive, launched to drive Russian forces from the south and east of the country, was failing.
Western weapons support not helping Ukraine: Putin said in televised remarks during a meeting of the Security Council of the Kremlin that “in any case, there are no results yet” of the counteroffensive.
After accumulating Western weapons, Kyiv started a long-awaited counteroffensive last month.
Putin stated that neither the massive amounts of finances funneled into the Kyiv administration nor the shipments of Western armaments, tanks, artillery, armored vehicles, and missiles are helping.
Significant portions of the front appear to be frozen, as Moscow’s soldiers continue to hold swaths of southern and eastern Ukraine.
A top presidential aide in Kyiv earlier this week told AFP that the operation would be “long and difficult” and requested more armoured vehicles and weapons from allies.
One of Ukraine’s most steadfast allies, Poland, has given Kyiv armaments and welcomed refugees.
But it hasn’t indicated that it would send soldiers to Ukraine.
Putin singled out Poland, charging that its authorities were attempting to “directly intervene in the conflict” by annexing Ukrainian territory.
Following a botched rebellion in Russia, soldiers from the mercenary company Wagner went to Belarus, where Poland has strengthened its defences.
Russia launched its operation against Ukraine from Belarusian territory, which borders Ukraine, as well as EU and NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
Vladimir Putin issued a warning, saying that in the event of an invasion, Moscow would defend Belarus using “all the means at our disposal.”
Putin stated that launching hostilities against Belarus would also include attacking the Russian Federation.
Belarus is now receiving tactical nuclear warheads from Russia.