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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will make his historic visit to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday at a critical time in his country’s war with Russia, as Ukrainian officials warn Moscow is massing upwards of 200,000 troops for a renewed offensive within the first three months of next year.
Ukraine has urged the United States and other allies to ramp up weapons shipments for the winter fight, a call sure to be reinforced by Zelensky during his visit, which will also include a meeting with President Biden.
Ukrainian forces have appeared to stall out in routing Russian forces from occupied territory since it launched a lightning counter-offensive in September.
“The Russians are preparing some 200,000 fresh troops,” General Valery Zaluzhny, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, told the Economist. “I have no doubt they will have another go at Kyiv.”
Zaluzhny further told the outlet that Russia could launch its big attack from Donbas in the east, from the south, or even from Belarus.
Zaluzhny said the new offensive could start as soon as January, but more likely in the spring. Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, told the Guardian that some 150,000 reservists called up earlier this year were now nearing the completion of their training.
“It means they are trying to start the next wave of the offensive probably in February, like last year. That’s their plan,” Reznikov said.
Ukrainian officials are concerned that a long, drawn-out war of attrition will degrade U.S. and other international military and economic support for Kyiv.
To keep the momentum going, Congress has proposed $45 billion in emergency funding for Ukraine – exceeding President Biden’s request for nearly $38 billion.
The president is further expected to announce that the U.S. will provide more advanced air defense systems to help Kyiv survive under Russian missile and drone strikes on its energy and electricity infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, on Sunday that Ukraine’s Armed Forces “have to be prepared for everything,” when asked if Kyiv is concerned about a renewed Russian offensive.
“We just have to push back and liberate more,” she said, adding Kyiv and its allies must “continue to stay the course, liberate the territories and defend Ukraine.”
The warnings come as Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday visited Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko – criticized by the U.S. and allies of illegitimately holding power – raising concerns that Russia is looking to relaunch offenses from Belarus or with cooperation of Belarusian forces.
US officials have said they have not seen Belarusian troops fighting alongside Russia, and don’t have information of a pending threat of Belarus sending its military across the border into Ukraine.
