No one knows when Russia-Ukraine war will end: Zelensky

Kyiv (Uttam Hindu News): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his annual press conference that no one knows when Russia’s ongoing war against the country will end.

“I think no one knows the answer,” Zelensky said at a press conference Tuesday night. “Even respectable people, our commanders and our Western partners, who say the war will last for many years, don’t know.”

Commenting on Ukraine’s achievements in this year’s war, Zelensky said Ukraine had won a major victory in the Black Sea, Xinhua news agency reported.

Zelensky stressed that Russia has not achieved any of its goals this year. In Ukraine and abroad, everyone can appreciate that the Russian fleet was deprived of its absolute dominance in the Ukrainian Black Sea.

Speaking on Ukraine’s counteroffensive, Zelensky said the fact that Kiev does not control the sky and does not have enough ammunition has affected military operations in the southern regions this year.

The President said that military commanders have offered him to mobilize an additional 450,000 to 500,000 troops to participate in the defense of Ukraine and a possible counteroffensive, but the decision on their mobilization has not yet been approved.

Asked about the possibility of annexing parts of Ukraine into NATO, Zelensky said that option was off the table due to some risks.

He also said that Kyiv has not received any official proposal regarding “partial accession” to the alliance.

Commenting on the strengthening of Ukraine’s defense capabilities, the Ukrainian leader said that soon his country will receive several new Patriot air defense systems and national advanced surface-to-air missile systems from its partners.

In addition, Ukraine plans to produce about 1 million drones next year, Zelensky said.