In an interview with BBC, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov said that hopes for a successful counteroffensive did not materialize. Still, it doesn’t mean victory won’t be on Ukraine’s side.
In May, before the anticipated counteroffensive, Danilov told journalists that the coming months were a “historic opportunity” [to liberate territories – ed.]. Now, reflecting on his words, the NSDC Secretary said, “In May, every citizen in our country wanted the war to end quickly. There were hopes, but they didn’t come true. The fact that we have been defending our country for two years is already a big victory.”
Danilov acknowledged that expectations were overly optimistic. “People sometimes make mistakes. You cannot be an A-grader all your life,” he said.
Currently, the situation on the front is “very difficult,” stressed the NSDC Secretary. Old military textbooks, including NATO manuals, need to be “should be sent back to the archives,” according to Danilov.
“There hasn’t been a war like the one we have in our country – not in the 20th nor the 21st Century,” he argued.
Danilov did not specify a possible timeframe for the next Ukrainian forces’ offensive on the front. “I can say for sure that we won’t stop,” he said. “We will continue fighting for our freedom, for our independence.”
Cover: Ukraine’s President’s Office
