Zelensky Reveals Readiness for Ukraine Counteroffensive Push

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that his forces are ready to succeed in their long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia, although he admitted that Kyiv could suffer large losses.

Zelensky told The Wall Street Journal, in an article published on Saturday, that he did not know how long the counteroffensive would take and expressed concerns about Moscow's air superiority.

"It can go a variety of ways, but we are going to do it, and we are ready," he told the paper. "We strongly believe that we will succeed."

Calling for more U.S.-made Patriot missile defense systems, he said that a lack of protection from Russian air power would mean that a "large number of soldiers will die." He added that he would have liked to have been given more weapons from the West, "but we can't wait for months."

Much depends on the counteroffensive in which Ukraine will be looking to retake occupied Russian territory that could cement further Western diplomatic and military support for Kyiv to continue the fight.

The Joe Biden administration has been the biggest provider of security assistance to Kyiv since the start of the full-scale invasion, but Zelensky said he was concerned by what a victory by former President Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. election might mean for Ukraine.

Trump, the GOP frontrunner for 2024 according to polls has said he could end the war in 24 hours, without providing specifications, but refused to be drawn in on whether he wanted Ukraine to prevail. Instead, he has complained about the cost of military aid.

Zelensky told The Wall Street Journal that given the scope of U.S. support, "you are afraid of changes," and that regarding a change of administration, "I feel the same way as any other person—you want changes for the better, but it can also be the other way around."

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that the Biden administration was "comfortable" that the U.S and other allies had given Kyiv what it needed "to conduct their counteroffensive now."

Retired U.S. Army general and former CIA director David Petraeus told the BBC on Saturday he believed Ukraine's counteroffensive would be "very impressive."

However, Erik Kramer, the director and co-founder of the Kyiv-based Ukraine Defense Support Group, has outlined problems Kyiv could face in the upcoming counteroffensive after observing training with all services of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

An article he co-wrote for military news outlet War on the Rocks said Ukraine suffered from a lack of mission command, effective training, and "improper use of special operations forces." The piece also said there was a lack of "effective training" as well as "ad hoc logistics and maintenance."

"These trends have undermined Ukraine's resistance and could hinder the success of the ongoing offensive," the article said.

Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian and Russian defense ministries for comment.