Alexey Arestovich, advisor to the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, has stressed that Ukraine will "hold its ground" in future negotiations with Russia, according to Hromadske TV.
On Thursday, Arestovich spoke with Ilana Dayan of Israel's Army Radio (Galei Tzahal), and expressed his optimism regarding the course of the war, despite devastating Russian strikes in many Ukrainian cities and what appears to be the conquest of Kherson, a major city in the south.
"Within a couple of days I hope to be able to report that we are no longer just defending ourselves, but have begun to take the initiative," Arestovich said. "We've all seen the documentation of the convoy heading to Kyiv - in fact there isn't just one convoy but twenty more like it too, and we have succeeded in pushing them all back with our military. In some places, we know that the Russians haven't managed to advance so much as a kilometer," he added.
Arestovich emphasized the high morale of Ukrainians, both soldiers and civilians. "People are in high spirits," he said. "There's adrenaline in the air and a real sense that we want to strike a critical blow at the Russians. Everyone feels that way," he added. "Everyone is optimistic and ready to fight."
Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was interviewed by CNN in a bunker several days ago. "People have tried to persuade him to leave Kyiv four times already," Arestovich related. "And each time, he refused."
Israel has been treading a cautious line between expressing support for a Ukraine under bombardment and not condemning Russian President Putin, given the need to secure Russian permission for strikes on Iranian proxies operating in Syria, where Russia is effectively in control.
"We realize that Israel is in a unique position" with regard to its relations with Russia, Arestovich told Galei Tzahal. "You're dealing with threats in the Middle East, and of course we don't expect Israel to concern itself solely with other countries' interests. However, if you do send us military aid, we will of course be delighted."