Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with CNN that Ukraine's counter-offensive has been "slowed down" by entrenched Russian defenses.
Commenting on the support provided by the US, the president added that he was "grateful." However, he also stressed that Kiev would have preferred to start the counteroffensive earlier.
"I wanted our counteroffensive to happen much earlier because everyone understood that if the counteroffensive unfolds later, then a bigger part of our territory will be mined. We give our enemy the time and possibility to place more mines and prepare their defensive lines," Zelensky said.