LONDON, June 4. /TASS/. Kiev still lacks the weapons to mount a successful counteroffensive this summer, Igor Zhovkva, deputy head of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s office and his chief foreign affairs adviser, told the Sunday Times.
"I’m not a military man. I’m working on the diplomatic front and my task is more weapons, more support, more ammunition," he said, "But if you want to start a successful counteroffensive you need everything at your disposal, including artillery, armoured vehicles and tanks, so probably we don’t have enough [weapons]."
Zhovkva acknowledged that Ukraine also lacks air defense systems and blamed European countries for not putting enough economic pressure on Russia, which still makes substantial profits from energy sales.
In an earlier interview with the Wall Street Journal, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said Kiev was ready for a counteroffensive that could follow a variety of scenarios.
The topic of a possible counterattack by Ukrainian troops has been discussed in the media for several months, with different dates being mentioned. The Russian Foreign Ministry has previously stated that open speculation by Western countries about an imminent Ukrainian counterattack confirms their direct involvement in the conflict.