Zelensky: "The results of the Ukrainian counteroffensive will be seen shortly"

The Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, assured this Saturday in Rome that the results of the imminent counter-offensive to recover territory invaded by Russia will be seen shortly, although he did not want to give details of the operation because that “would not help Ukraine”.

“Important steps will be taken shortly,” Zelenski said on RAI public television after an intense day in the Italian capital, where he met with the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. as well as with Pope Francis.

When asked about the details of the operation, Zelenski did not even want to specify them because he said that this “would not help Ukraine”, while indicating: “We are preparing with great commitment and we will take important steps. we are very motivated. I can't answer” about time and methods, “but you will see the result, we believe in victory.”

He has also ensured that “if Ukraine falls, the next step is Moldova and the Baltic countries”. “Let's imagine that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin comes to the NATO countries. Maybe not to Italy, but they will send their sons to fight in defense of NATO countries. It is better to help Ukraine than send your sons to war,” he said.

And about the losses of the European Union due to the import of Ukrainian wheat, he said: “We will compensate with the EU what the producers are losing” because “Ukraine is already Europe.”

In his meetings with Mattarella and Meloni, Zelensky has won Italy's full support for kyiv, both in the war and in its aspirations to join the EU and NATO.

“For us it is very important to be part of the EU,” he explained, at the same time assuring that Kiev “expects a lot” from the next summit of the Atlantic Alliance because “we fight as a NATO country would.”

In this sense, Zelenski has shown hope that “this year” progress can be made in both fields, an aspect in which Meloni has shown his support and has said that Italy was working on it with the EU and the president of the Commission European, Ursula Von der Leyen.