NEW YORK, May 31. /TASS/. Ukraine is making preparations for a counteroffensive in the summer, staying in contact with the United States concerning planning, US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on CNN on Wednesday

"We want to make sure that Ukraine has everything they need to defend themselves as they get ready to go on the offensive here in the summertime. We want to make sure they have everything they need to do that successfully," Kirby said, adding that the US and Ukrainian militaries had been in contact since the beginning of planning.

A potential counteroffensive by the Ukrainian forces has been a major talking point amongst media outlets over recent months, with a variety of dates thrown around. The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out earlier that Western countries’ public speculation about a looming Ukrainian counterattack was evidence of their direct involvement in the conflict.