Ukraine offensive 'slower than desired', Zelenskiy says; Putin sees 'lull'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends through video link as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looks on during the Ukraine Recovery Conference at the Intercontinental O2 Hotel in London, Britain, June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/Pool

KYIV (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was quoted on Wednesday as saying progress in Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces was "slower than desired", but that Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up.

"Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It's not," Britain's BBC quoted him as saying in an interview. "What's at stake is people's lives."