KYIV, Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that a slowdown in operations against the Russian army is not due to a crisis but related to the winter.

Zelenskyy, in a news conference with leaders of European countries after the Second Ukraine-Northern Europe Summit held in the Norwegian capital of Oslo, responded to criticism by US generals who suggested Ukraine should prioritize defense rather than a counter-offensive.

"Regarding the statement by US generals, some individuals, I will tell you this: In any case, it's not about a crisis, it's about winter, and operations always slow down in winter, whether they are counteroffensive or defensive. So, I think this signal is precisely related to this," said Zelenskyy as cited by RBC-UKRAINE.

Noting that Russia did not achieve any victories on the front this year, Zelenskyy said Russian forces focused on the east of Ukraine again this year, as they did last year.

"In winter, everything slows down for many reasons. We are talking about defense in the east of the country because the majority of Russian forces are concentrated there. They tried there many times, whereas last year the Wagner Group was defeated.

"Now they have sent a large number of their troops there. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of military personnel. Therefore, the most important thing there is to restrain and destroy them," he said.

Highlighting the successes of the Ukrainian army, Zelenskyy said: "As for victory, everyone talks about a great success at sea, which indeed happened. The Black Sea is unblocked, the Russian fleet has been pushed out of the Black Sea, and this is a success. We need to prepare for the next operations."

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said regarding the summit, that support for Ukraine is continuing.

"This is a critical time for Ukraine, for Europe and for global security. Lessening support to Ukraine now is not an option. On the contrary, now is the time to harness support and stick to our plans for how we will help Ukraine be successful in the war, rebuild the country and defend itself in the long run," Kristersson said in a letter shared by the Financial Times.