The Ukrainian leader, in a televised question and answer session with a group of Ukrainian journalists after returning from the United States, acknowledged that Ukrainian troops were still being killed but he said the death rate was ‘ten times fewer’ than before. He also warned against the military way as the only one in de-escalation of the conflict in Donbas.
“I would like to point out that it’s not possible to win purely by military meansin Donetsk and Luhansk. It may seem that if we call in 3-4 battalions, enter, concentrate troops, provide gunfire support, send special operations forces to explode or eliminate [separatists’] administration we’ll tackle the situation, but it’s not true. The more Ukrainian army battalions or brigades are brought up, the more troops there are from the Russian Federation,” he said, adding that 60-65 percent of Ukraine’s military equipment on the front-line had been destroyed.
“It brings me confidence that residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are tired; they hate armed people and welcome anyone who can bring peace. Ukraine will bring peace to the Donbas,” Poroshenko emphasized.
And Ukraine would not win without international support, he added, suggesting he had been under pressure from the U.S. and other Western governments to declare a ceasefire and work for a political compromise.
Russia has spent billions of dollars on spoiling Ukraine’s image, Petro Poroshenko said. But the money is being wasted, he stressed.
