Zelenskyj on the crux of weapons
USA: Russian offensive “interesting and worrying”
May 10, 2024, 11:49 p.m
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The Russian advances northeast of Kharkiv do not come as a surprise to the USA – and, according to the US assessment, could be just the beginning. Ukrainian President Zelenskyj is demanding weapons that actually arrive – and not just announced packages.
The US government is watching the new major Russian attack near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with concern. “We expected Russia to launch an offensive against Kharkiv, and it now appears to have begun,” said National Security Council communications director John Kirby. In the months after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia tried desperately to take the city, but was unsuccessful.
“In fact, it was primarily the failure to take Kharkiv that prompted Mr. Putin to withdraw his troops across the border,” Kirby continued, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The current actions of the Russian military there are therefore “very interesting and certainly worrying.” A statement from the US President’s Office also shows that, according to the US government’s assessment, Russia appears to be preparing a major attack on Kharkiv.
The US government has coordinated closely with Ukraine to support its preparations, said Kirby. It is now crucial that the new military aid from the USA arrives on the battlefield in Ukraine as quickly as possible.
Another focal point at the front
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a similar statement. “What really helps are the weapons that are actually brought to Ukraine, and not just announced packages,” he said in his nightly video address.
Russian troops launched an attack on the Ukrainian city of Vovchansk on Friday morning (local time). It is located about 40 kilometers northeast of Kharkiv on the border with Russia. For the Ukrainian army, the offensive means another problem on the approximately 1,000 kilometer long front in the east and south, after it was recently pushed back near Bakhmut and Avdiivka. The defenders are still lacking weapons and ammunition after domestic political disputes in the USA prevented regular supplies of military equipment from the USA for months.
New aid worth billions has now been approved, and the US government has already launched several large new military packages – the most recent on Friday. But Russia is trying to take advantage of the time until these weapons arrive at the front, the commander of the Ukrainian army, Alexander Pavlyuk, told the British magazine “Economist”.
Kirby also complained that the months-long delay in new aid from the US Congress had given the Russians advantages and tactical advances. Ukraine will need time to regain the initiative. “It is possible that Russia will make further advances in the coming weeks, but we do not expect major breakthroughs,” he said. “And over time, the flow of U.S. aid will enable Ukraine to repel these attacks throughout 2024.”