Russia Holds Initiative in East of Ukraine Due to Delayed Supply, Says Zelenskyy

Russia currently holds the initiative in the east of Ukraine due to delays in the supply and reinforcement of Ukrainian brigades, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on January 16 during a joint briefing with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“On the battlefield, it’s crucial not to cede the initiative to the Russians, who, unfortunately, currently have it in the east because of the slow supply and reinforcement of our brigades. However, they have undeniably lost the initiative in the north and in the Kharkiv region. We must achieve the same result in the Donetsk direction,” Zelenskyy stated.

He once again emphasized that Ukraine needs tangible support from its partners, particularly strong security guarantees, to maintain its position of strength.

On January 16, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit, where he signed a historic 100-year partnership agreement with Zelenskyy aimed at fostering strong ties across the full range of relations between the UK and Ukraine, including trade, security, defense, science and technology, education, culture, and more.