Ukraine is preparing a counteroffensive designed to liberate areas occupied by Russia, not to attack Russian territory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.
During a press conference in Berlin with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelenskiy clarified that Ukraine's goal is to liberate territories within its internationally recognized borders.
The president was responding earlier in the Washington Post, citing previously undisclosed documents from a set of U.S. intelligence leaks suggesting Zelenskiy has considered trying to capture Russian territory.
The intention would be to use those captured territories as a possible bargaining chip in peace negotiations to end the war initiated by Moscow in February 2022.
This would put it at odds with Western governments, which have insisted that the weapons they provide should not be used to attack targets in Russia.
Zelenskiy met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Sunday. Photo: Reuters/Lisi Niesner.
"We don't attack Russian territory, we liberate our own legitimate territory," Zelenskiy said when asked by reporters about the issue. "We have neither the time nor the strength (to attack Russia). And we don't have enough weapons with which we could do that," the president said.
"We are preparing a counterattack for the illegally occupied areas based on our legitimate borders defined by the constitution, which have international recognition," Zelenskiy said.
The Ukrainian leader is visiting his allies to call for new arms deliveries to help his country repel the Russian invasion and rebuild what was destroyed during more than a year of devastating conflict.
A Luftwaffe plane flew Zelenskiy to the German capital from Rome, where he met Saturday with Pope Francis and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Later, he will visit France on Sunday night to meet his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
Zelenskiy's first visit to Berlin since the start of the war comes a day after the German government announced a new military aid package to Ukraine worth more than 2.700 billion euros that includes tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition.
Zelenskiy thanked Scholz for Germany's political, financial and military support and said the country is second only to the United States in aid provided to Ukraine, and joked that he was working to make it the top donor.
"German air defense systems, artillery, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles are saving Ukrainian lives and bringing us closer to victory. Germany is a reliable ally. Together we are bringing peace closer," he wrote on Twitter after the meeting.
Scholz said Berlin has so far given Kiev about 17 billion euros in bilateral aid and can expect more in the future. "We will help them as long as necessary," he said, adding that it was up to Russia to end the war by withdrawing its troops.
Zelenskiy said one of the reasons for his visit to allied capitals is to forge a "coalition of fighter jets" that would provide Ukraine with the aircraft it needs to counter Russia's air dominance.
Germany has said in the past that it does not have the F-16 jets Ukraine needs and Scholz responded to questions about possible aircraft deliveries by referring to the anti-aircraft system it has provided to Kiev.
In a joint statement after their meeting, Scholz and Zelenskiy said they support efforts to bring to justice those responsible for atrocities in Ukraine and highlighted the arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin issued by the International Criminal Court.
Zelenskiy is touring European capitals seeking military aid for Ukraine. Photo: Reuters/Thilo Schmuelgen.
They also pledged to ensure that sanctions against Russia are not circumvented and to explore possibilities of using frozen Russian assets to pay for damages caused in Ukraine.
Zelenskiy first met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who last year received cold treatment from Kiev, apparently because of his longstanding ties to Russia. That chilled diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Germany, although both Steinmeier and Scholz have since visited Ukraine and reiterated to Zelenskiy their support for Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion.
After their meeting with Scholz and other senior officials at the Foreign Ministry, the two leaders flew to the western city of Aachen, where Zelenskiy will receive the International Charlemagne Prize along with the people of Ukraine.
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