[Clip starts SHMYHAL The ░░░░░░░░ is not Hollywood movie ░░░░░░░░ is not easy walk ░░░░░░░░ is number of military ░░░░░░░░ some things it s ░░░░░░░░ some things it s ░░░░░░░░ some things it could ░░░░░░░░ tactical pauses Unfortunately during ░░░░░░░░ preparation for this counteroffensive ░░░░░░░░ were preparing too so ░░░░░░░░ is so much minefields ░░░░░░░░ really make it slower ░░░░░░░░ I mean movement into ░░░░░░░░ half Clip ends FOSTER ░░░░░░░░ Robertson joins me now ░░░░░░░░ more on that criticism ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine s counteroffensive I ░░░░░░░░ the reality is that ░░░░░░░░ many countries have put ░░░░░░░░ much into this they ░░░░░░░░ desperate to see some ░░░░░░░░ ROBVERTSON And they are ░░░░░░░░ far removed from the ░░░░░░░░ What the prime minister ░░░░░░░░ saying there was also ░░░░░░░░ President Zelenskyy has said ░░░░░░░░ knows that it is ░░░░░░░░ quite meeting expectations but ░░░░░░░░ isn t Hollywood I ░░░░░░░░ exactly the same language ░░░░░░░░ I was in Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ officials a couple of ░░░░░░░░ ago and from troops ░░░░░░░░ the frontline as well ░░░░░░░░ they are in the ░░░░░░░░ of it You know ░░░░░░░░ the one hand you ░░░░░░░░ Jens Stoltenberg NATO secretary ░░░░░░░░ saying that we ve ░░░░░░░░ these 1 500 or ░░░░░░░░ many armored vehicles it ░░░░░░░░ cetera et cetera and ░░░░░░░░ tanks and that sort ░░░░░░░░ creates the perception that ░░░░░░░░ know they have done ░░░░░░░░ bit the countries have ░░░░░░░░ their bit and it ░░░░░░░░ now over to Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ I got a reflection ░░░░░░░░ that from talking to ░░░░░░░░ delegate who was at ░░░░░░░░ conference yesterday where the ░░░░░░░░ minister was speaking the ░░░░░░░░ conference in London he ░░░░░░░░ it is amazing everyone ░░░░░░░░ is like patting themselves ░░░░░░░░ the back for getting ░░░░░░░░ money and funding Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ recovery and rebuilding he ░░░░░░░░ But we haven t ░░░░░░░░ won the war We ░░░░░░░░ t even won the ░░░░░░░░ So there is this ░░░░░░░░ of dichotomy there s ░░░░░░░░ of view You know ░░░░░░░░ the one hand we ░░░░░░░░ done a lot to ░░░░░░░░ you and we think ░░░░░░░░ you are ready but ░░░░░░░░ the ground reality is ░░░░░░░░ fight is much much ░░░░░░░░ And I think that ░░░░░░░░ why we re hearing ░░░░░░░░ pushback we ve sort ░░░░░░░░ reached that reality from ░░░░░░░░ officials in Kyiv who ░░░░░░░░ Matthew Chance just yesterday ░░░░░░░░ Look we haven t ░░░░░░░░ begun the counteroffensive properly ░░░░░░░░ s more to come ░░░░░░░░ think President Putin heard ░░░░░░░░ as well a couple ░░░░░░░░ days ago when he ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine still has its ░░░░░░░░ and there is more ░░░░░░░░ can do in the ░░░░░░░░ I think the ground ░░░░░░░░ is this is a ░░░░░░░░ tough fight If we ░░░░░░░░ back to World War ░░░░░░░░ and the storming of ░░░░░░░░ beaches in Normandy it ░░░░░░░░ a massive event it ░░░░░░░░ a huge amount of ░░░░░░░░ and a huge amount ░░░░░░░░ effort It was a ░░░░░░░░ wave of soldiers Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ t have those resources ░░░░░░░░ has to be wily ░░░░░░░░ has to probe and ░░░░░░░░ for ways through That ░░░░░░░░ essence is what it ░░░░░░░░ building and that s ░░░░░░░░ officials are still saying ░░░░░░░░ is sort of shaping ░░░░░░░░ FOSTER Is there pressure ░░░░░░░░ the weather Because obviously ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ into the situation last ░░░░░░░░ they did the weather ░░░░░░░░ as they get into ░░░░░░░░ winter holds them back ░░░░░░░░ there s a bit ░░░░░░░░ a time pressure considering ░░░░░░░░ will all slow down ░░░░░░░░ You know I think ░░░░░░░░ every military analyst would ░░░░░░░░ have their own view ░░░░░░░░ this but there is ░░░░░░░░ view that says look ░░░░░░░░ Russia back into positions ░░░░░░░░ it then can t ░░░░░░░░ counteroffensive out of this ░░░░░░░░ meaning get them into ░░░░░░░░ positions right before the ░░░░░░░░ hits so that they ░░░░░░░░ come back at you ░░░░░░░░ that you can fortify ░░░░░░░░ up your supply lines ░░░░░░░░ your most forward positions ░░░░░░░░ the winter You know ░░░░░░░░ think from Ukraine s ░░░░░░░░ again we re having ░░░░░░░░ Hollywood type discussion about ░░░░░░░░ Hollywood type war The ░░░░░░░░ is Russia has very ░░░░░░░░ defenses and they need ░░░░░░░░ find a way to ░░░░░░░░ them and probe somewhere ░░░░░░░░ find a way to ░░░░░░░░ them to push forces ░░░░░░░░ way and then use ░░░░░░░░ know use that as ░░░░░░░░ diversion and come around ░░░░░░░░ else It s not ░░░░░░░░ is a real war ░░░░░░░░ think again when you ░░░░░░░░ away from that from ░░░░░░░░ actual battlefront you forget ░░░░░░░░ it s like I ░░░░░░░░ there You know not ░░░░░░░░ overstate this but when ░░░░░░░░ are there in the ░░░░░░░░ and the frontlines and ░░░░░░░░ are with the troops ░░░░░░░░ seeing them training as ░░░░░░░░ come running out of ░░░░░░░░ armored personnel carriers to ░░░░░░░░ forward and storm positions ░░░░░░░░ you look at the ░░░░░░░░ footage of when they ░░░░░░░░ done that actually in ░░░░░░░░ real firefight it s ░░░░░░░░ easy You don t ░░░░░░░░ a lot of ground ░░░░░░░░ it s hard you ░░░░░░░░ up against a very ░░░░░░░░ enemy And that is ░░░░░░░░ why the concern is ░░░░░░░░ Putin will be able ░░░░░░░░ run the steam out ░░░░░░░░ this counteroffensive and turn ░░░░░░░░ into a very long ░░░░░░░░ trench warfare for which ░░░░░░░░ can rebuild his forces ░░░░░░░░ Russia and armaments and ░░░░░░░░ those lines and therefore ░░░░░░░░ the ground it s ░░░░░░░░ It is hugely important ░░░░░░░░ counteroffensive but it s ░░░░░░░░ easy In essence Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ more resources A month ░░░░░░░░ so ago we were ░░░░░░░░ they don t have ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ reality that hasn t ░░░░░░░░