On the eve of the conference in London on the restoration of Ukraine, its President Volodymyr Zelensky gave an interview to the BBC, where he explained his vision of the country’s future.
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Zelenskiy acknowledged that weeks into the Ukrainian counter-offensive, advances on the battlefield are “slower than we would like.”
Some people take it like a Hollywood movie and are waiting for the results right now. It’s not like that,” he told the BBC. “People’s lives are at stake.
Ukraine claims that during the counter-offensive it managed to sack eight settlements in the Zaporozhye and Donetsk regions. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the Ukrainian military has advanced to a depth of 7 km, and the area liberated in the south is 113 square meters. km.
Zelensky explained that the offensive is not easy, because the Russian military mined 200 thousand square meters. kilometers of Ukrainian territory.
Whatever anyone wants, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, but we will advance on the battlefield as we see fit,” the president added.
Zelensky did not specify who exactly is undertaking such pressure attempts in Ukraine.
Recall that military experts over the past months have warned that in a situation where Ukraine is denied the provision of the necessary types of weapons, including fighters and long-range missiles, it will be difficult to count on a quick and effective counteroffensive.
During the conversation, Zelensky spoke about the need to provide Ukraine with security guarantees from NATO, but stressed that ultimately the goal is membership in the defense Alliance.
Recall that on June 21-22, political and business leaders from around the world gathered in London for a two-day conference on the restoration of Ukraine.
The reconstruction of Ukraine will cost at least 411 billion dollars. The World Bank provided such data in March, but since then, due to ongoing hostilities, this figure has most likely increased. In the short term, Ukraine needs 14 billion dollars. from international donors to get through this year, according to the World Bank.
According to the vice-president of the organization Anna Bjerde, the money will go to “basic social costs” such as pension payments, health care and salaries of doctors and teachers. They will also help fund urgent infrastructure repairs that are critical to a shattered economy.
The UK will provide $3 billion in loan guarantees. for three years on loans to Ukraine from the World Bank, said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at a conference.
As we saw in Bakhmut and Mariupol, what Russia cannot take away, it destroys. And they want to do the same with the Ukrainian economy,” the Prime Minister said in a statement.
According to Zelensky, he hopes not just for restoration, but for the transformation of Ukraine:
In a broader sense, we are talking about the transformation of Ukraine. This is Ukraine not only with its energy and agro-industrial complex, but also with the upcoming reforms. This is the digitalization of our country, this is an anti-corruption reform, which is very important. It is important to work on judicial reform, to work with our partners to make Ukraine attractive for investment after the war. That’s what we need. Ukraine will be different, transformed. The only thing that will not change is the strength of our people,” Zelensky said.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.