Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 644
GuardianNov 27, 2023
Zelenskyy: War in New Phase, Ukraine Not Backing Down
Image copyright: Ukraine's Presidential Press Office [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Facts
In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press published Friday, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a mixed account of Ukraine's battlefield situation, stating that its much-anticipated counteroffensive failed to produce the desired results because of enduring shortages of weapons and ground forces. However, he declared that the war is in a new phase and that despite the setbacks, Ukraine is not backing down.
"We have a new phase of war, and that is a fact," Zelenskyy said. "Winter as a whole is a new phase of war." Asked whether he was satisfied with the results of Ukraine's counteroffensive, he said: "We are fighting with the second [best] army in the world, I am satisfied." However, he added: "We are losing people, I'm not satisfied. We didn't get all the weapons we wanted, I can't be satisfied, but I also can’t complain too much."
The Spin
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Despite the setbacks and the coming winter weather, Ukraine has no choice but to continue defending against Russian aggression and to fight for what's theirs. While world attention has understandably shifted to the tragedy in the Middle East, the world mustn't forget that a war is also happening in Ukraine.
Pro-Russia narrative
After the Cold War, there was a historic opportunity to continue down the path of treaties and disarmament, based on the principles of shared security concerns. Instead, however, the US chose a path of seeking to weaponize Ukraine in an effort to weaken Russia. Despite all that's happened to Ukraine, the West is continuing this disastrous policy.