[The Epoch Times, January 30, 2023](Comprehensive report by Epoch Times reporter Chen Ting)president of ukraineZelenskyOn Sunday (January 29), Ukraine urgently needed new weapons and hoped that Western countries would speed up delivery to deal with the difficult situation of the Russian army’s continuous attacks in the Donetsk region.
“The situation is very serious. In Bakhmut, Vuhledar and other areas in the Donetsk region, the Russian army is constantly attacking. People are constantly trying to break through our defense lines.”Zelenskysaid in a nightly video speech.
“Russia wants the war to drag on and drain us. So we have to make time our weapon. We have to speed up our activities, speed up our supplies, and open up new weapons options for Ukraine.”
Earlier on Sunday, Ukraine’s Armed Forces General Staff said its forces had repelled an attack near Blahodatne in the eastern Donetsk region, while RussianWagner MercenaryThe group says it controls the village.
A later military statement did not mention Brahodatne.
A few days after Germany and the United States agreed to provide the main tanks, Zelensky further continued to call on the West to provide long-range missiles.
Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukraine needed the Army Tactical Missile (ATACMS), which has a range of 300 kilometers and is made in the United States. So far, Washington has refused to provide such missiles. A presidential adviser said talks were underway to supply long-range missiles, and a Ukrainian air force spokesman also spoke of talks to supply fighter jets.
The United States said it would discuss the idea of supplying the jets with Kyiv “very cautiously” on Thursday.
In his latest speech, Zelensky said the Ukrainian command was working to ensure that “our pressure is greater than the offensive capabilities of the occupiers,” which means “maintaining the defensive support of our partners.”
“The enemy did not consider their personnel and maintained the intensity of their attacks despite the heavy losses,” he said.
“In the face of this situation, our soldiers must have extraordinary resilience, fully aware that in defending the Donetsk region, they are also defending the whole of Ukraine.”
However, German Chancellor Scholz reiterated on Sunday that Germany will not send fighter jets to Ukraine.
Scholz told the German daily Tagesspiegel: “If the next debate starts in Germany as soon as a decision (on tanks) is made, it will appear unserious and undermine citizens’ confidence in the country. Confidence in government decision-making.”
Scholz warned against raising the “risk of escalation.” Previously, Moscow had sharply condemned the promise of tanks.
“There is no war between NATO and Russia. We will not allow such an escalation,” he said.
The German chancellor added that it was “necessary” to continue the dialogue with Putin.
“I will speak to Putin again on the phone,” Scholz said, “but, of course, it is also clear that as long as Russia continues to wage war with unabated aggression, the current situation will not change.”
Reuters, Voice of America and the BBC contributed to this report.
Editor in charge: Ye Ziwei #
