Ukraine is ready to launch its long-awaited counteroffensive to recapture Russian-occupied territory, its president announced. This comes as Zelensky acknowledged that Ukraine would not be able to join NATO before the end of Russian invasion- a rare admission by the Ukrainian president who has stepped up pressure on NATO and the European Union to open their doors to Ukraine. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year galvanised NATO but members of the military bloc are split over Ukraine. "We are reasonable people and we understand that we are not going to drag a single NATO country into a war," Zelensky said. "Therefore, we understand that we will not be members of NATO while this war is going on.

Source: Hindustan Times June 03, 2023 16:03 UTC