British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley said Ukraine’s offensive may not be “decisive” in an attempt to downplay expectations of the return of Russian-controlled territories in Ukraine, stressing that this is “not a Hollywood movie,” reports AFP and CNN.

During a visit to Washington, the British minister again called on Ukraine to support the fight against Russian forces in the long term, but warned against any unrealistic expectations in the face of this announced offensive.

“Ukrainians have proven their effectiveness in defending their country, but it should be recognized that there can be no simple, quick and decisive progress,” he told the AtlanticCouncil think tank.

“I hope and expect that they will do very, very well, because whenever I’ve seen Ukrainians, they’ve exceeded expectations,” he said, adding that people “must be realistic.”

“This is the real world. This is not a Hollywood movie,” said Cleverley, who added that he expected “verbal escalation” from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He also expressed London’s desire for China to play a more constructive role in ending the war.

“We know that (Chinese President) Xi has a significant degree of influence over Vladimir Putin,” Cleverley said. “If through his intervention he can help restore the sovereignty of Ukraine and withdraw Russian troops from this country, I will not criticize it,” he said.

Kyiv has been preparing for months to launch a major “spring” offensive against Russian troops in the occupied territories in the east and south of the country, and for this it needs additional military assistance from the West.

Can Ukraine get long-range missiles?

Britain is preparing to send Kiev long-range missiles, which the Biden administration has so far refused to send, and which can hit targets at a distance of 300 kilometers, the Washington Post reports, citing a purchase announcement published on May 2 by the British-led International Fund. for Ukraine.

The call for responses from companies that can supply munitions with a range of up to 300km was included in an announcement last week by the International Fund for Ukraine – a group of countries that includes the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden – set to send weapons to Kyiv , writes The Guardian.

Responding to a question about Britain’s policy on providing Ukraine with fighter jets and long-range missiles at an event in Washington, British Foreign Minister James Cleverley refused to reveal specific plans.

But he noted that it is important to continue looking for ways to “improve and accelerate our support to Ukraine.”

“If we save things for a rainy day, it’s for a rainy day,” he said.

A British official said that no final decision has been made to send missiles to Ukraine with the capabilities outlined in the published message, Reuters reports.

Yuri Sak, an adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister, told Reuters that Kyiv did not have specific information about Britain’s long-range missile efforts, but that Ukraine had been repeatedly asking Western governments for long-range weapons for months.

Follow the latest developments from The 440th day of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HOTNEWS.RO.