Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov wrote about this on Facebook. The appeal was written in connection with the upcoming NATO summit in Madrid.
“In many ways, Russia is preparing for a long-term military operation. The war is moving into a protracted phase. We see how in the Kherson region, in the Zaporozhye region, Russian invaders are actively carrying out engineering and fortification work in order to switch to defense if necessary,” the minister wrote.
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He also said that Belarusian troops are carrying out active maneuvers near the border with Ukraine, which forces the Ukrainian army to reserve forces in case Moscow presses Minsk to invade.
“Given this, we want to defeat the enemy and liberate our territories as soon as possible. Do not let Russia drag out the conflict. Therefore, we are very interested in receiving international assistance, buying weapons as quickly as possible and in the right quantities,” he stressed.
Reznikov wants the Alliance to answer the question of what future he sees for Ukraine.
“The Strategic Concept of NATO for the next 10 years will be adopted. What place will Europe see for Ukraine in the interests of protecting its eastern borders? We are all here thinking about restoring Europe’s security architecture at least? Ukraine has already proven that it can be a reliable security partner. Strengthening – this is the strengthening of Europe in the east,” the appeal reads.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Deputy Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Mircea Geoana is convinced that Ukraine can win the war against Russia thanks to the courage of the Ukrainian people and the army and the help of the West.
The Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs stated the beginning third decisive phase of the war. According to Aleksey Reznikov, for the next weeks the Armed Forces of Ukraine should rely on their own forces, while the heavy weapons supplied by the West equalize on the front of power.
