Putin wanted to capture Kharkiv while US Congress delayed aid package
President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: Getty images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to quickly occupy Kharkiv while there was a delay in US aid. This concerns a $61 billion package that could not be approved for half a year, according to his remarks at the President's Fund and Ronald Reagan Institute.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that from the moment a decision is made until equipment reaches the brigades, a considerable amount of time is required. Putin wanted to capitalize on this delay.
"Of course, Putin understood and understands this. So, he had this information and he wanted to use this pause in more than half a year in Congress with this decision. That's why he wanted to occupy quickly Kharkiv, where one and a half million people live now. It's very near to the border. And they (people) live there, they attack them each day because he wants to create chaos and to push people to run out. That's the goal for him. He did it at the very beginning of the war. He did it. He tried to do it with the capital, but the people were strong. That's why we saved our capital, and I think our country," said Zelenskyy.
The President added that Ukraine evacuated people from the towns occupied by Russia in the Kharkiv region because Putin didn't care whom to kill. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia has suffered significant losses in the subsequent Kharkiv operation.
"We lost some villages along our border. But, God bless, people were saved. But we took people, saved them. All people, pensioners, different people. Cause we know he is not looking for whom to hit, like yesterday and the day before yesterday. It doesn't matter to him whom to kill - a soldier or a child, civilians. It doesn't matter. That's why, of course, we evacuated people from these villages, and he didn't have success. God bless for the help. And also our soldiers. Of course, first of all, our heroic guys. So we stopped them. He lost a lot of people. And speaking about thousands... dozen thousands of people. So, the price of this operation for him was very high," reported Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
However, a difficult situation is now observed in the east of the country. According to the president, Ukraine is still awaiting certain equipment to outfit the brigades.
"It's not a secret, we have fourteen brigades that are still not equipped. So that's why we do not use them. But I hope that everything will arrive, especially after the NATO summit. We will have some additional packages of air defense, etc.," said the president.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the US to lift restrictions and allow Ukraine to destroy Russian aircraft on Russian territory.
Earlier, it was reported that according to the president of Ukraine, the Patriot systems will help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, but they are not enough. The recent attack on Kyiv, which was considered protected, is evidence of this.
