Russian invasion
US government sees momentum for Ukrainian military
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken praises the progress made by the Ukrainian army. photo
© Olivier Matthys/Pool AP/dpa
According to Antony Blinken, the reconquest of Ukrainian territories is mainly due to the courage of the Ukrainian people. In the general assessment, however, the US Secretary of State is cautious.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed that Ukraine has made significant progress in the military offensive against Russian troops.
“We have clearly seen significant progress by Ukrainians, particularly in the Northeast,” Blinken said at a press conference in Mexico. On the one hand, the success is due to the support of the USA and many other countries, for example through the equipment provided. Above all, he was “a product of the extraordinary courage and resilience of the Ukrainian armed forces and the Ukrainian people”.
Kirby: Let Zelensky decide
“I think what you’re seeing is certainly a shift, a momentum in Ukraine’s armed forces, especially in the north,” National Security Council communications director John Kirby said in Washington. However, he wants to leave it up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to decide whether a turning point has actually been reached.
“I don’t want to speak for the foreign military, but I think in the north we saw the Russians evacuate their defensive positions and retreat,” Kirby continued. The Russians would have abandoned their fighting positions and left their supplies behind. “They call it a repositioning but it is certain that they have retreated in the face of Ukrainian forces clearly on the offensive.” At the same time, Kirby emphasized that Russia continues to have great military capabilities.
Partial withdrawal of Russian troops
Under pressure from Ukrainian counter-offensives, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced at the weekend, more than six months after the start of the war, that it was withdrawing its own troops from the Kharkiv region in the north-east. According to Kiev, Russian troops were also withdrawing from parts of the southern Kherson region. This information could not be independently verified.
It is still too early to say how the situation will develop, Blinken added. “The Russians continue to have very large armed forces, equipment, weapons and ammunition in Ukraine.” They also used them against civilians and civilian infrastructure. “But I think it’s encouraging to see the progress that Ukraine has made.” Ukraine’s actions were systematically planned and pursued a specific goal: “To recapture the country that was occupied by Russian aggression.”
Russia’s behavior has also caused rising energy and food prices, causing problems around the world, Blinken said. “Russia has committed this aggression. I think, given the price it is paying for it, it can and should stop it.”