Blinken: the State Department counts on "several months" of counteroffensive of the AFU

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, commenting on the pace of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, has said that Ukraine has already liberated about half of the territories occupied by Russia. According to him, the operation of Ukrainian troops will not be completed within one or two weeks - the State Department expects "several months". At the same time, in fact, the Russian Federation has already lost the war.

The corresponding statement Blinken voiced in an interview with CNN on July 23. "Ukraine has already returned about 50% of the territory that was initially seized (probably excluding Crimea and the ORDLO. - Ed.). It's still relatively early days of the counter-offensive. It is difficult. It's not going to be completed in the next week or two," he said.

According to the US State Department chief, Russia has "already lost" the war "in terms of what it sought to achieve and what Putin sought to achieve."

"The goal was to wipe Ukraine off the map, to strip it of its independence, its sovereignty, to incorporate it into Russia. This has long failed," he said.

At the same time, he acknowledged that Ukraine's mission to de-occupy the territories would be "a very hard fight" and predicted that the war would last "several months."

However, he said, along with the aid, military equipment and training Ukraine is receiving from various countries, Kyiv's work represents a "decisive element."

"Unlike the Russians, Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for their future, for their country, for their freedom," Blinken said.

He also assured that Ukraine will receive F-16 fighter jets, but it takes several months for their delivery.

As reported OBOZREVATEL:

- Earlier Blinken noted that it is very early to draw conclusions about the successes of the AFU. He stressed that the Ukrainians are breaking through serious lines of defense.

- The commander of the AFU Ground forces Oleksandr Syrsky said that the Ukrainian military every day are advancing by 0.5-1 km. It is virtually impossible to accelerate the AFU counter-offensive because of the occupants' many defenses and minefields.

- US General Mark Milley urged not to call the AFU counter-offensive a failure. According to him, there will be a lot more fighting for Ukraine.

- Russian President Putin has issued that Ukraine's counteroffensive has allegedly "failed" during a meeting with self-proclaimed Belarusian President Lukashenko.

- The Wall Street Journal claims that officials in the West knew that the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not have sufficient readiness for a counteroffensive, relying on the courage and resourcefulness of our military. Now, the Defense Forces operation could allegedly be at a stalemate, but the Russian Federation is also unable to retake the initiative on the front.

- The ISW said that blocking facilities in the rear of the RF forces successfully reduces their logistics and counter-battery defense capabilities and contributes to their exhaustion. And the pace of the AFU counteroffensive may soon increase.

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