"Will give waves of Russian refugees": Ukraine outlines the counteroffensive until the summer

Ukraine names its war aims for the summer offensive. EU foreign policy chief Borrell does not believe that the Ukraine war will end anytime soon.

Kyiv - For Ukrainian Foreign Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, the ultimate goal of the counteroffensive in the Ukraine war is clear: Russia must lose the war - and it will. Reznikov told the newspapers of the Funke media group and the French newspaper Ouest France. "We need to shake the Russians' certainty that they can win this war," he said. All temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine will be liberated, Reznikov said.

According to Reznikov, the internationally recognized borders of 1991 are to be restored. This also includes the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Russia, and the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, he explains. According to him, Ukraine does not want to attack Russian territory. "We don't need a Russian country. We would like to live with a democratically governed neighbor, not with an autocratic regime," Reznikov said.

Snipers of the Ukrainian army take up position against Russian troops near Bakhmut. The counteroffensive is getting closer. © picture alliance/dpa/AP | Libkos

Reznikov: Ukraine hopes for German Eurofighter

Ukraine is striving for normal relations with Russia, such as those with Poland, Slovakia or Romania. According to its own statements, Ukraine is not responsible for the recent attacks on Russian territory. According to Reznikov, Russian citizens who do not agree with the Kremlin regime are behind it. With regard to the fighter jet coalition for Ukraine, the country is also hoping for Germany's participation.

Reznikov suggests that Britain and Germany could pool their Eurofighter capabilities. First of all, however, Ukraine would welcome Germany to participate in the training of Ukrainian pilots on Eurofighters, Reznikov added. Germany and Great Britain had recently ruled out supplying fighter jets to Ukraine in the foreseeable future.

Oleksiy Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine. © Boris Roessler/dpa

Borrell: War won't be over in the summer

Currently, there is a lot of speculation about whether the announced Ukrainian counteroffensive has already begun or is imminent. In the newspaper interview, Reznikov said that he could not answer that, because otherwise Russia could learn details. However, he said he was just as optimistic as President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine could achieve a breakthrough with its counteroffensive this year. There will then be new waves of Russian soldiers fleeing on Ukrainian territory. The Russians lack resources and many recruits lack experience, Reznikov said.

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Meanwhile, the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, expects that the war will not be over in the summer. He sees a concentration of troops on both sides and Russia's clear will to win the war, he said at an event in Barcelona. Russia will not negotiate until it has tried to win the war. Vladimir Putin has amassed more than 300,000 troops, twice as many as at the beginning of the invasion, Borrell said. (Gregor-José Moser)