Zelenskyy: War in New Phase, Ukraine Not Backing Down

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.¹
• '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.'¹
• Later in the interview, Zelenskyy added: 'We wanted faster results. From that perspective, unfortunately, we did not achieve the desired results. And this is a fact.' He said Ukraine didn't receive all the weapons it needed from allies and that the size of his country's military prevented a rapid advancement.¹
• However, according to the latest analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US military-affiliated think tank that tracks battlefield progress in the war, Ukraine's front-line situation continues to deteriorate, with Russian forces reportedly making a number of advances in the eastern Donetsk region. Near Bakhmut — a city captured by Russia earlier in the year — ISW said: 'Russian forces reportedly made multiple advances near Bakhmut on November 30.'²
• Russian forces also reportedly advanced near the Donetsk city of Avdiivka, the center of a renewed Russian offensive push since October. ISW said that clashes with Ukrainian troops were taking place in industrial zones on the outskirts of the city. ISW reported an additional Russian advance in western Donetsk, in territory near the border with Zaporizhzhia.²
• Meanwhile, Ukraine's air force on Friday said that Russia launched renewed attacks on Ukraine overnight, firing two cruise-guided missiles and deploying 25 unmanned drones. An Air Force spokesperson said that due to air defenses, a missile and 18 drones were shot down and destroyed. There were no reports of civilian casualties.³

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²Understandingwar and ³Ukrainska Pravda.

Narratives

• Pro-Ukraine narrative, as provided by Associated Press. 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, as provided by Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 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.

Predictions