Original subtitles

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the AFU, was interviewed by the Washington

Post and it was the perfect cold shower for Western audiences, politicians and supporters.

I love the fact that Zaluzhnyi does not appear very often in the Ukrainian and Western media,

but is always very accurate and on time.

Here are the main talking points from the interview :

Zaluzhnyi is angry at assessments that Ukraine's long-awaited counteroffensive

in the east and south of the country has begun more slowly than expected. According to him,

the AFU is making daily advances - even if it is only 500 meters. Ukraine is now the most

mined country in the world. And this is just one of the reasons why the start is so slow.

"This is not a show that the whole world is watching and betting on or anything like that.

Every day, every meter is given in blood. Yes, maybe not as fast as the show participants,

the observers, would like, but that's their problem."

The questions that plague Zaluzhnyi every day: When will Ukraine's Western

partners provide the weapons it needs, including more ammunition and F-16s?

"We need shells, planes and patience.

We need more weapons of any kind to make Ukraine's counteroffensive go faster." And he says this to

anyone who wants to listen, including his American counterpart, Gen. Mark Milley.

NATO military doctrine is good, but when you have air superiority over the enemy.

NATO countries have plenty of aircraft and they can afford to follow it completely.

Ukraine's current fighter jets can't stand up to Russia's.

Ukraine doesn't need many planes, but Ukraine needs new generation planes. Everyone would be

surprised if the Ukrainians went on the offensive with bows and arrows, but for some reason everyone

thinks it's okay for the Ukrainians to go on the offensive without modern aircraft.

Western countries would never launch an offensive without air superiority.

Ukraine still has not received modern fighter planes, yet some partners expect the AFU to

quickly liberate the occupied territories. Until the planes arrive, a lot of people

are dying every day - a lot. Simply because the solution has not yet been implemented.

He also made it clear to everyone that the AFU will continue to advance, no matter what

happens with the Zaporizhzhia NPP or threats of nuclear strikes. The Russians are doing

everything to intimidate, but the Ukrainians are not going to give in to intimidation.

Also, the AFU must fire at least as many artillery shells as the enemy.

Zaluzhnyi said that he passed on his concerns to Mark Milley, whom he considers a friend.

"We have an agreement: we're on call 24 hours a day. So sometimes I can call and say,

'If I don't get 100,000 shells a week, 1,000 people will die. Step into my shoes." Millie

is well aware of everything, but the supply doesn't depend on him alone.

On Western equipment losses : Zaluzhnyi admitted that several Western tanks and BMPs were destroyed

or damaged. "Ukraine received Leopard tanks not to ride in parades, but for combat work.

On the battlefield any Leopard is a target for the enemy."

I take this interview as a great signal: GIVE MORE guns, missiles, and equipment for

you are still not doing enough if you really want Ukraine to win this war, not freeze the conflict.

And in the context of the Prigozhin revolt and other crises in Russia, you are also in

vain afraid to do more. You have been afraid all along of someone who is himself very much afraid !