Zelensky: Russia's offensive has been halted, forces significantly depleted
In an interview with French television channel BFMTV, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that the Russian offensive has been stopped and its military is losing a "significant amount" of vital forces.
Zelensky expressed a cautiously optimistic view of the situation on the front lines. "The situation is substantially better than it has been over the past three months," the French broadcaster quoted him as saying.
The Ukrainian leader acknowledged certain difficulties Ukraine faced, such as a shortage of artillery ammunition, an air blockade, Russia's long-range weaponry, and a high density of Russian drones.
Despite halting Russia's advance, Zelensky acknowledged that the situation could change "in a month or a week" if the Ukrainian military does not receive sufficient support.
The president also commented on the capture of Avdiivka, stating that the Russian army did not capture the town but rather destroyed it before entering.
In the interview, Zelensky also reflected on a Russian strike that occurred during his visit to Odesa with the Greek prime minister. He suggested that Russian President Putin has "lost touch with reality," questioning whether Putin intended to target him. "It doesn't matter today... When you strike with ballistic missiles a few hundred meters from a European leader, presumably, you are very sick," Zelensky expressed.
Additionally, in his BFMTV interview, Zelensky responded to the comments by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the potential deployment of Western forces in Ukraine. He stated that Ukraine does not need foreign forces on its soil but would welcome "trainers" and "technical staff" from NATO member states.
On March 11, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the Alliance does not intend to send its troops to Ukraine, hinting that Macron made a mistake discussing "strategic ambiguity" about the potential deployment of Western forces.