House Intelligence chair: Ukraine ready, trained and equipped for counteroffensive
House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) projected confidence in Ukraine’s preparedness for an expected upcoming counteroffensive against Russian forces, saying he has visited troops in Kyiv and is “incredibly optimistic.”
“The upcoming offensive, they’re ready for; they’re trained for; they’re equipped for. And Russia is not,” Turner told Martha Raddatz on ABC News’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” Sunday.
“I had the opportunity a couple months ago to meet with President Zelensky in Kyiv, and to meet with our troops, who are training and who are assisting in planning. And I’m incredibly optimistic,” Turner added.
Ukraine’s long-planned counteroffensive to take back territory from Russia is expected to be bolstered by technologically advanced weapons from Western countries, adding to the pressure on Ukraine to achieve a victory
In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, Zelensky said while he is confident in a victory, he also expects “a large number of soldiers will die.”
“I don’t know how long it will take,” he said to the Journal. “To be honest, it can go a variety of ways, completely different. But we are going to do it, and we are ready.”
Some military experts and officials have tried to temper expectations of a decisive victory by Ukraine.
At a press conference last month, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stopped short of saying he was confident Ukraine would win, noting the Biden administration has done “everything we can” to supply Ukraine with resources to win.
“It’s not just the stuff, it’s the know-how and how to use that stuff in the field,” he added.
Source: The Hill
