Ukraine has reclaimed greater than half of territory seized by Russia: US

Ukraine has retaken greater than half of the territory Russia captured throughout its preliminary invasion, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned Sunday.

However Blinken warned that regardless of Ukraine’s string of successes in repelling its Russian invaders, the nation nonetheless has a “very onerous combat” forward of it.

“It’s already taken again about 50% of what was initially seized. Now they’re in a really onerous combat to take again extra,” Blinken stressed throughout an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.

“These are nonetheless comparatively early days within the counteroffensive. It’s robust, the Russians put in place sturdy defenses,” the highest diplomat mentioned.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday pinned blame for the nation’s delay in mounting its counteroffensive on a scarcity of munitions provides.

“We did have plans to begin it in spring. However we didn’t as a result of frankly, we had not sufficient munitions and armaments and never sufficient brigades correctly educated in these weapons,” Zelensky informed CNN.

The US has already given tens of billions of {dollars} in army help to Ukraine for the reason that conflict broke out in February 2022.

US help contains the controversial current determination to funnel cluster munitions to Ukraine.

Some US allies resembling the UK have expressed apprehension about sending such cluster weapons due to the grave risks they’ll pose to civilians, however President Biden harassed the significance of aiding Ukraine, together with with the munitions.

When pressed about Ukrainians’ considerations that the US has been slow-walking help to the war-torn nation, Blinken underscored that he understands their perspective.

“If I had been within the footwear of our Ukrainian pals and companions, I’d in all probability be saying precisely the identical factor,” he mentioned.

“There are 50 some odd international locations on this coalition in assist of Ukraine. [US Secretary of Defense] Lloyd Austin has been main this course of on the army aspect. And totally different international locations do various things at totally different instances,” Blinken mentioned.

Blinken additionally indicated that he believes Ukraine will ultimately get the US-made F-16 fighter jets it has lengthy sought.

“That is what we’re engaged on now as a result of it’s not sufficient to provide them F-16s, they’ve acquired to be educated,” Blinken mentioned.

Almost a dozen nations are planning to start coaching Ukrainians to fly the F-16 fighter jets subsequent month, Reuters reported.

The Biden administration final week introduced an extra $1.3 billion package deal of long-term air protection and munitions help to Ukraine.