- Putin says Kyiv's counteroffensive is failing despite Western military and financial support.
- Moscow continues to occupy large southern and eastern Ukrainian areas and much of the front remains frozen.
- Putin accused Poland of attempting direct intervention to seize Ukrainian territory; Poland has bolstered border defenses but will not send troops.
- Moscow warned it will defend Belarus, equating aggression against Belarus with aggression against Russia, and began moving tactical nuclear warheads there.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Kyiv’s counteroffensive, launched to push Russian troops back in the south and east of Ukraine, was failing despite military and financial support from Western countries.
“In any case, there are no results yet” of the counteroffensive, Putin said in televised remarks from a meeting of the Kremlin’s Security Council.
Kyiv last month launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive after stockpiling Western weapons.
“Neither the colossal resources that have been pumped into the Kyiv regime nor the supplies of Western weapons, tanks, artillery, armoured vehicles and missiles are helping,” Putin said.
Moscow’s forces still occupy swathes of southern and eastern Ukraine and large parts of the front appears to be frozen.
Earlier this week a senior presidential aide in Kyiv told AFP the operation would be “long and difficult” and called on allies to send more armoured vehicles and weapons.
Poland, one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, has provided Kyiv with arms and welcomed refugees.
It has however shown no interest in sending troops to Ukraine.
Putin singled out Poland and accused its leaders of trying to “directly intervene in the conflict” to occupy Ukrainian land.
Poland has reinforced its defences at the border with Russia-allied Belarus, where fighters from mercenary force Wagner moved after an aborted mutiny in Russia.
Belarusian territory – which borders Ukraine as well as EU and NATO members Poland and Lithuania – served as a launching pad for Russia’s Ukraine offensive.
Putin warned that Moscow would use “all the means at our disposal” to protect Belarus in case of an attack.
“Unleashing aggression against Belarus will mean aggression against the Russian Federation,” Putin said.
Russia has begun transferring tactical nuclear warheads into Belarus.
