Ukrainian and NATO Military Top Brass Talk All Things Offensive

In a possible sign that Ukraine’s counteroffensive is drawing closer, General Valeri Zaluzhny, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (CinC AFU), revealed, in his Telegram feed on April 30, that he had held a meeting with General Christopher Cavoli, the Supreme Commander of the NATO Joint Armed Forces in Europe (SACEUR).

On Sunday evening, Zaluzhny said that he had held “a comprehensive meeting” with the NATO military commander that covered the full range of “future scenarios”.

"I spoke in detail about the operational situation along the entire front line, and described possible scenarios, threats and prerequisites for future actions,” Zaluzhny said.

“We set ourselves a goal: to prepare in such a way as to fulfil certain tasks as much as possible,” he said.

According to Zaluzhny, the briefing also focused on both the need for timely deliveries of sufficient ammunition and equipment and the continuing training of Ukrainian forces by NATO members.

News of the meeting, between Zaluzhny and Cavoli, follows comments by Ukraine’s Defense Minister on April 28 about the readiness of Ukraine’s pending offensive.

 "The preparations are coming to an end because, in addition to [the provision of] weapons and military equipment, our service members have mastered them,” Reznikov told a press conference in Kyiv.

On April 19, Deputy Minister of Defense, Hanna Maliar, said that Ukrainians should not wait for the day when the Defense Forces make a formal announcement that the counteroffensive has started, as “certain actions are already taking place”.

Defense Minister Reznikov believes that expectations for the counteroffensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine are being "somewhat overheated" in the minds of some.