The counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) did not bring the desired results, Josep Borrel, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in an article for the Spanish newspaper El País on January 22.

«Today there is a rumor about reconciliation again, and we again hear voices saying that Ukraine’s victory is impossible and that the support of the West will not last long,» he said.

The diplomat pointed out that «last year’s Ukrainian counteroffensive did not bring the desired results.»

In his opinion, instead of offering reconciliation, the EU should redouble its efforts. He drew attention to the fact that the industry was not ready for what it faced, as it was designed for peacetime.

Borrell advocated a significant increase in European production capacity.

«Although defense spending has already increased by 40% compared to the historical low of 2014, this growth is not happening fast enough,» he said.

Earlier, on January 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ended in absolute failure, the initiative in the special operation zone is completely with the Russian military. He noted that if this continues, the question of Ukraine’s statehood will soon arise.

Before that, on January 11, Jan Nolte, a member of the German Parliament’s defense committee, in an interview with Izvestia, pointed out the impossibility of Ukraine’s victory in the conflict with Russia. He pointed out that Western politicians have long disbelieved in Kiev’s victory, but still continue to finance and supply it with weapons.

On January 9, the American television channel CNN announced a turning point in the conflict in Ukraine in favor of Russia. According to analyst Michael Bociurkiw, the intensity and frequency of recent Russian attacks, amid reports that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has stalled and Western supporters of Ukraine are withholding billions in financial aid to Kiev, marks a serious turning point.

The special operation to protect Donbass, which the Russian president announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision on it was made against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.