War in Ukraine: Counteroffensive critics should ‘shut it down’, Ukrainian minister gets carried away

Powerful words, no doubt spoken under the influence of emotion. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Thursday that criticism of the counter-offensive of Ukrainian forces against Russian troops should “close it” during a meeting with European foreign ministers.

A major counter-offensive launched by Kiev in June in the east and south has so far failed to produce the expected results as it ran into a stronger Russian defense consisting of trenches, anti-tank booby traps and minefields laid hundreds of miles away. than expected. According to the British Ministry of Defense, the number of square kilometers reclaimed by Kiev is only 300 km2.

However, notable progress has been made this week with the capture of the village of Robotine in the south of the country, which could pave the way for a breakthrough on this front, which is very well defended by the Russians.

“To criticize the slowness of the counteroffensive is to spit in the face of a Ukrainian soldier who sacrifices his life,” Dmytro Kuleba said on the sidelines of a meeting organized in Toledo, Spain. “I suggest everyone who criticizes to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to free a square centimeter on their own,” he added.

The announcement this Thursday of the deaths of six Ukrainian soldiers in a two-helicopter crash in the east of the country may not be related to this muscular statement.

Thanking the European ministers for supporting their governments, Dmitry Kuleba reminded that Ukraine still needs ammunition, armored vehicles, long-range missiles and air defense systems.

Grain agreement mentioned

He also discussed the future of the Ukrainian grain export deal that Moscow struck in July. While Russia has since threatened to sink Ukrainian cargo ships, Kyiv is now dependent on land routes and a shallow river port, severely limiting grain exports.

The Ukrainian minister considered that the upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to renew the agreement is “almost the last chance” for Moscow to return to the pact. Turkey is trying to revive the original agreement, hoping to use it as a springboard for broader peace talks between Kiev and Moscow.