Europe 1 with AFP 14:43 pm, June 03, 2023

Preparations for a Ukrainian counteroffensive are complete, but the loss of life could be heavy because of Russian air superiority, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. At the same time, the fighters of the Wagner militia said they were ready to go and defend the Belgorod border region.

THE ESSENTIALS

Ukraine says it is ready to carry out its counter-offensive aimed at recovering territories occupied by Russia. Nevertheless, President Volodymyr Zelensky conceded that the loss of life could be heavy because of Russian air superiority. At the same time, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, said he was ready to send his units to defend the Russian region of Belgorod, bordering Ukraine and hit in recent days by intense bombing and attacks.

Key information

  • Ukraine says it is ready to carry out its counter-offensive that should allow it to recover territories occupied by Moscow
  • The paramilitary group Wagner said it was ready to defend the Belgorod border region
  • Indonesia has proposed a peace plan

Ukraine says it is ready to carry out its counter-offensive despite the risks

Preparations for a Ukrainian counter-offensive have been completed, but the operation will not be without risk. And could even cost the lives of many soldiers because of Russia's air superiority, Volodymyr Zelensky himself warned. In an interview published Saturday by the Wall Street Journal, he said: "In my opinion, starting today, we are ready ... We firmly believe that we will succeed," he added, adding that he did not know "how long it will take".

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He warned, however, that the offensive would be "dangerous" without increased Western help to counter Russian air attacks. "Everyone knows that a counter-offensive without air superiority is very dangerous," the Ukrainian president added. Only one weapon, the US Patriot surface-to-air missile system, can protect Ukraine's skies, he added, calling for more such weapons to be delivered to his country. "One weapon robs Russia of its ability to intimidate tens of millions of people: Patriot missiles," he said.

In the run-up to the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, next month, he admitted that he understood that it was not possible for his country to join the Atlantic Alliance during the Russian invasion. "We don't want to be a member of NATO during the war," he said. "It's too late. But tell me how many lives a sentence is worth at the top of Vilnius?" "If we are not recognised and if we do not receive a signal in Vilnius" (with a view to a possible and future membership, editor's note) "I think it is useless for Ukraine to participate in this summit," he said.

Wagner's fighters ready to defend the Belgorod region

The head of the paramilitary group Wagner assured Saturday that he was ready to send his units to defend the Russian region of Belgorod, bordering Ukraine and hit in recent days by intense bombing and attacks. "If the (Russian) Ministry of Defense does not stop what is happening in the Belgorod region ... where Russian territories are in fact being captured, then obviously we will arrive," Prigozhin said.

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"We will defend our (...) Russian people and all those who live there," he added in an audio message released by his press service, adding that his men would not wait for an "invitation" or authorization to deploy in the region. "The only thing we will ask for is ammunition, so as not to arrive, as we say at home, bare-ass in the cold," Prigozhin added. In recent days, the Belgorod region, especially its localities closest to the Ukrainian border, has been hit by fire of an intensity not seen since the beginning of the Russian offensive in Ukraine at the end of February 2022.

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the area was hit Friday by more than 500 cannon, mortar or multiple rocket launchers, including more than 370 on and around the town of Chebekino, which hundreds of civilians have fled.

Indonesia proposes peace plan for Ukraine, Russia

Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on Saturday proposed a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine at a defense and security conference in Singapore, a move immediately criticized by several participants. "I call on Russia and Ukraine to commit to immediately cease all hostilities," he said, stressing that the economies and food supply of Asian countries were badly affected by the conflict.

The minister proposed a ceasefire "on current positions", demilitarized zones that would be guaranteed by observers and UN peacekeeping forces. He also suggested an eventual "referendum in disputed areas" organized by the United Nations, during his speech to the Shangri-La Dialogue Conference on Asia-Pacific Defence and Security.

"Indonesia is ready to contribute by sending units for a potential UN peacekeeping operation," he added. In April, China presented its own peace plan to end the war in Ukraine. Indonesia, which favours non-aligned diplomacy, has already attempted peace mediation between the two belligerents. Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited Kiev and Moscow and met with Ukrainian and Russian leaders last year as the country chaired the G20 group.