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Zelensky vows to retake south, NATO warns of long war
Making a rare trip outside Kyiv, where he is based for security reasons, Zelensky travelled to the hold-out Black Sea city of Mykolaiv and visited troops nearby and in the neighbouring Odessa region for the first time since the Russian invasion.
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This handout picture taken and released by the press service of the Ukrainian Presidency on 18 June, 2022 shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) awarding a serviceman during his visit to the position of Ukrainian National Guard in Odessa region. (AFP/Handout)
P
resident Volodymyr Zelensky vowed Sunday that his forces "will not give away the south to anyone" after his first visit to the southern frontline, as NATO's chief warned the war in Ukraine could last "for years".
Making a rare trip outside Kyiv, where he is based for security reasons, Zelensky travelled to the hold-out Black Sea city of Mykolaiv and visited troops nearby and in the neighbouring Odessa region for the first time since the Russian invasion.
"We will not give away the south to anyone, we will return everything that's ours and the sea will be Ukrainian and safe," he said in a video posted on Telegram as he made his way back to Kyiv.
He said he talked with troops and police during his visit.
"Their mood is confident, and looking into their eyes it is obvious that they all do not doubt our victory," he said.
While Zelensky remained defiant, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that "we must be prepared for this to last for years."
Speaking to German daily newspaper Bild, Stoltenberg said "We must not weaken in our support of Ukraine, even if the costs are high -- not only in terms of military support but also because of rising energy and food prices."
