World News | Long-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive coming: Zelensky

Rome [Italy]May 14 (ANI): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a meeting with European partners that supply Ukraine with arms that much-anticipated measures against Russia will soon be taken, CNN reported. The first important step of the army’s military counter-offensive.

Speaking to reporters in Rome after a meeting with his Italian foreign minister and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Zelensky said the Ukrainian army was “preparing very seriously.”

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“There will definitely be very serious steps. I can’t tell you (when) but you will definitely see it, Russia will definitely feel it,” he said, adding, “We believe in victory and believe that the first An important step is coming soon.”

Last week, senior U.S. and Western military officials told CNN that Ukrainian forces had begun “shaping” operations ahead of a counteroffensive.

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To prepare the battlefield for advancing troops, shaping involves attacking targets such as weapons depots, command posts, armor, and artillery systems. According to CNN, this is a standard tactic executed before major joint operations.

Following “long and fruitful” discussions with Zelensky on Saturday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pledged continued support for Ukraine, adding that Rome would support any future application by Kiev to join NATO.

“We are ready to support further strengthening of Ukraine’s partnership with NATO, which we will discuss at the Vilnius summit in July, and this is likely to be a central theme,” Meloni added.

Earlier, Zelensky also met with Pope Francis, who has publicly supported an end to the violence in Ukraine.

A statement from the Vatican’s press office said Zelensky and Francis discussed the humanitarian and political crisis in Ukraine during their meeting at the Vatican on Saturday, and the pope engaged in “constant prayer,” according to CNN.

According to the statement, “both parties agree that continued humanitarian efforts are needed to support the population.”

According to CNN, Zelensky said last week that his country still needed “more time” for additional deliveries of promised Western military supplies before launching a counteroffensive.

Among those Western supporters, Zelensky landed in Germany on Sunday, his first visit to Germany since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, according to CNN.

“Already in Berlin. Arms. Powerful package. Air defense. Reconstruction. EU. NATO. Security,” Zelensky tweeted.

On Saturday, the German Defense Ministry announced an additional $3 billion in military aid to Ukraine, including 30 tanks.

This follows a major policy reversal in Berlin earlier this year, when it said it would provide aid to Kiev Leopard 2 assault tanks. Germany initially refused to supply Ukraine with weapons because of Berlin’s longstanding policy of not sending lethal weapons to conflict zones, CNN reported. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)