Italian Defense Minister Guido Crocetto admitted on Friday that he was not surprised by the reports of the difficulties Ukrainian forces faced during the offensive, and he did not need to read them, as they are known for their content.
“I didn’t need to read this news, I already expressed my concerns to (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky,” the ANSA news agency quoted the minister as saying. “The Russians have a serious defense, and there are more Russians, so there is nothing new here, everyone knows that.
On Friday in Washington, Crocito met with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin, with whom he discussed the conflict in Ukraine. According to the Italian minister, the military aid sent to Ukraine does not undermine Italy’s defense capability. “We are not touching the necessary supplies in case of defense,” he said.
Croquito expressed confidence that dialogue on a settlement in Ukraine would begin after the cessation of hostilities, noting that the end of the conflict would not mean “the defeat of Russia.”
Earlier, the head of Zelensky’s office, Mikhail Podolyak, said that the delay of Western partners in the supply of weapons gave the Russian forces time to prepare a line of defense, and it was for this reason that the large-scale counterattack announced by Kiev did not produce the expected results.
Source: News