Ukraine wants to avoid winter war, says top presidential aide

A view shows a residential house destroyed by a Russian missile strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, on the outskirts of Odesa, Ukraine July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Igor Tkachenko

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's top presidential aide said on Tuesday that Ukraine does not want the war to last into winter, as this would give Russian forces time to dig in and make any Ukrainian counter-offensive more difficult.

In an interview with Ukrainian magazine NV, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak expressed hopes that the U.S. arms lend-lease to Ukraine will provide a sufficient quantity of weapons before winter to allow Ukrainian troops to achieve "victory" before then.