Joining us
now, a
top adviser to Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Igor Joschka is with us.
Igor, thanks for taking the time tonight.
We heard President
Zelensky say today
that 20, 23 will be
the year of our victory.
You are also hearing, though,
American and Western leaders
who are talking about bracing
for this war
to drag on potentially for years.
Do you have any frustration
that those leaders
seem to doubt the ability of Ukraine
to make good
on what Zelensky is promising
to wrap this up in 2023
you know
I remember some leaders experts so-called
were saying exactly a year ago
that Ukraine will not withstand
more than three.
Okay let's say five or seven days,
two weeks.
Now we have 366 days of war
not only You can withstand it.
Not only we,
we managed to do it
to withstand the aggressive,
but managed to fight back.
And almost 50% of Ukrainian territory
which was captured
after the open aggression
has been already released.
We will be doing this this year.
Definitely our aim, our will.
That's what really President is saying
to have happy victorious.
20, 23.
But in order to get this,
we need the support
and we need the support
in terms of weapons.
First of all,
because Ukraine
can start counter-offensive
if only we have enough
supply of artillery
including that long range
with enough ammunition,
battle tanks and armored vehicles
and air defense to protect the skies
and the territory of Ukraine provided
what we have.
It will definitely
we have all the possibilities to we
we have the will
and the
courage of Ukrainian armed forces.
We have the will
and strength of our president well,
the will and desire
of the Ukrainian people.
So in order not to speculate
about the let's unite
all the efforts
of the international community
to help Ukraine intervene.
I do want to say
President Biden
did just say something about those F-16s.
You talked about defending from the air.
We're trying to turn that around
so we can get that,
so folks can see that
and we can get a response
from you to that.
So I just want to let people know
that's coming up.
I do want to ask you,
Ukraine's military intelligence
chief says
that this spring is going
to bring decisive battles.
Give us a sense of what is in
store here in the
coming weeks and months.
Well, you know, Russia will
be definitely trying to
to have a response
because throughout the last half a year,
Russia was only failing on the
on the battlefield, on the ground,
didn't manage to get any
any major cities or towns.
That's why
there will be really intensive.
And that's what they really are like
on the east of Ukraine
and on the city of Baltimore,
the Kremlin.
They'll be trying to have some offensive
from the south of Ukraine.
And we have to understand
that this will definitely happen.
But when they fail, not if,
but when they fail,
we will definitely have
the counter-offensive
because these reforms will be the last
Russian advance possible.
They're also running out of
not even the manpower
because they have enough manpower,
but then they stand in somehow
why and for what purpose they are doing
so definitely
Ukraine should not lose the momentum
it should
develop on this very positive dynamics
we had in the second half of
the last year.
So definitely being
a little bit difficult for us
when we
will start the gun program
so that it will be much easier.
Igor, I do want to listen now
to what President Biden just said.
These are remarks
just released by ABC News.
He said that the U.S.
is providing what Ukraine needs now, but
this is what he said about F-16s.
We know the Germans are now sending tanks
and after the US said
it would send Abrams tanks as well,
But we know President Zelensky
continues to say what he really needs
are F-16s.
Will you send F-16s?
Look,
we're sending him
what our
seasoned military thinks he needs now.
He needs tanks,
he needs artillery,
he needs air defense,
including another high marks.
There are things he needs
now that we're sending him
to put him in a position
to be able
to make gains this spring,
in this summer, going into the fall.
You don't think he needs F-16s now?
No. He doesn't have six years now.
Is that a never
look?
First of all, the idea that
we know exactly what's going to be needed
a year or two or three from now,
but there is no basis upon which
there is a rationale,
according to our military now,
to provide F-16s.
But you're not ruling it out?
I am ruling out for now.
For now.
Igor,
he says Ukraine doesn't need F-16s now.
What is your reaction to that?
My reaction is
we got the F-16 is now
there will be no pilots to
to fly them
because our pilots have to be trained
well before we obtain the F-16s.
And this is what exactly
Ukraine has started to achieve.
All right.
You said several countries
announced that they will be ready
to go
to give trainings
for Ukrainian pilots to muster the F-16s.
So will be training.
We'll be going on
with our counter-offensive.
We will be
looking forward to deliver an F-16,
by the way, not only F-16.
There are some other types
of fighter jets
in the European countries as well,
which can also be provided to Ukraine.
You know,
someone told that
there will be no possibility
to have long artillery systems to Ukraine
versus that. No, we have them.
I mean, Igor, let me ask you.
Easier Igor makes more sense.
Igor makes more sense
to train
for a plane
that you definitely know
you're going to get.
And right now, he's ruling it out
if you're trying to sit still play
and the country spends money
for training your soldiers for F-16,
why on earth
this country will spend money
if the F-16 will never be
delivered to Ukraine?