The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent’s first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.

pre-order now
Skip to content
Edit post

Duda: Ukraine needs more weapons to change balance of war

by Martin Fornusek August 10, 2023 10:54 PM 2 min read
Polish President Andrzej Duda during a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on June 28, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Valentyna Polishchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukraine needs more international assistance as it most likely does not field enough weapons to change the balance of the war, Polish President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with the Washington Post on Aug. 10.

"The question is: Does Ukraine have enough weapons to change the balance of the war and get the upper hand? And the answer is probably no," Duda said.

"And we know this by the fact that they're not currently able to carry out a very decisive counteroffensive against the Russian military."

Duda however added that Western long-range artillery supplies could mean that "Ukraine now has much more modern military capabilities than Russia."

The Ukrainian counteroffensive has been underway in at least three directions in Ukraine's southwest and east since early July. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the campaign as "challenging" while adding that Ukraine still holds the initiative.

Ukrainian armed forces' Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi told the Washington Post that Ukrainian troops are making limited gains daily despite the lack of much-needed supplies, including F-16 fighter jets and artillery ammunition.

The counteroffensive's relatively slow progress prompted skepticism among Western observers about whether it can help Ukraine reach a decisive strategic success.

On Aug. 8, CNN wrote, citing U.S. and Western officials, that the initial expectations regarding the counteroffensive were "unrealistic," adding that the Western leadership receives increasingly "sobering" assessments of the progress.

WSJ: Cluster munitions provide ‘fresh impetus’ to Ukraine’s counteroffensive
U.S.-supplied cluster munitions are destroying Russian positions in areas where Ukrainian troops had struggled to advance, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Aug. 8.

The Polish Head of State also said during the interview that he does not believe that Russia will use its nuclear arsenal in response to Western arms supplies for Ukraine. Such a step would require a collective decision, not dependent solely on the country's dictator Vladimir Putin, Duda said.

However, the president raised concerns regarding potential "nuclear accidents" at Ukraine's nuclear plants. Since March 2022, Russian forces occupy the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear station in Europe.

In late June, Ukrainian officials warned that Russia is considering a terrorist attack at the plant through a deliberate radiation leakage.

News Feed

8:06 AM  (Updated: )

Zelensky visits South Africa but cuts trip short after mass Russian strike.

"We count on South Africa’s meaningful participation in the International Coalition for the return of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. We will also certainly strengthen our cultural and educational ties," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
5:30 AM

Trump says he may meet Putin 'shortly' after May Middle East visit.

Despite ongoing ceasefire negotiations, Trump and Putin have yet to have direct contact, communicating only through their officials. Trump's last in-person encounter with his Russian counterpart was during the 2018 Helsinki Summit during the U.S. president's first term.
8:08 PM

Ukrainians react to US proposal of recognizing Crimea as Russian.

The U.S. media outlet Axios reported on April 23 that the U.S. President Donald Trump administration's final proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war included the U.S. de jure recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea and de facto recognizing its control of other occupied Ukrainian territories. We asked Kyiv residents for their reactions to the U.S. proposal.
7:21 PM  (Updated: )

Trump says 'nobody is asking' Ukraine to recognize Crimea as Russian.

"Nobody is asking (President Volodymyr) Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory, but if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?" U.S. President Donald Trump wrote.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.