Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said Tuesday that Europe knows it is impossible to end the Ukraine conflict with the counteroffensive, as has been illustrated by the events.
“Unfortunately, the conflict will be a long one. I think we could have hoped that this conflict would end with the counteroffensive. However, unfortunately, we know that it is not possible. Open data does not give us confidence in this,” Ciolacu told a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
Ukraine launched its long-advertised counteroffensive in early June after multiple postponements. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian troops continue to try but are failing to advance in three sectors: South Donetsk, Artemovsk (fka Bakhmut) and Zaporozhye, with the latter being the primary focus.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday that the Russian armed forces had destroyed 920 Ukrainian armored vehicles, including 16 Leopard tanks, in the Donbas and Zaporozhye regions in June.
