President of Ukraine Zelensky.
President Zelensky in an interview with The Economist said he was very upset by the hesitation of some allies, as well as the distance between some of his compatriots. He said the West has lost a sense of urgency and many Ukrainians have lost a sense of the existential threat posed by the war.
President Zelensky emphasized that by supporting Ukraine, Europe is protecting itself from Russian attack.
“Maybe we did not succeed (in 2023) as the world wanted. Maybe things were not as fast as someone imagined,” Mr. Zelensky said, but the idea that Putin is winning is nothing more than ” feeling”. The reality, he said, is that Russian troops are still dying in places like Avdiivka.
“Maybe something is missing. Or maybe someone is missing. Someone can talk about Ukraine as a means of protecting all of us,” the president added.
Mr. Zelensky also lamented the fact that today “the mobilization of Ukrainian society and the world” that was present at the beginning of the war is no longer there, and “this needs to be changed.”
“Mobilization is not just a matter of soldiers going to the front. It is the work of all of us. It is the mobilization of all efforts. This is the only way to protect our state and liberate our land. Let’s be honest, we have turned to domestic politics. If we continue to focus on domestic politics, we need to call for elections. Change the law, the constitution. But forget counter-offensive actions and liberation of occupation. The most important profession a Ukrainian can have at the moment is in Ukraine…and for our Western partners, it is in Ukraine…If If you no longer have the strength, retreat or step aside. We will not retreat,” Mr. Zelensky detailed.
Regarding the negotiation proposal, Mr. Zelensky said that he saw “no fundamental steps towards peace from Russia”. Instead, he and the Ukrainians are being subjected to a series of air strikes targeting Ukrainian cities in the east, south, north and west.
“And if Russia sends a signal that it wants to freeze the conflict, as some Western media reported, “it is not because they are righteous people, but because they do not have enough missiles, ammunition or the army is prepared. They need this pause. Restore all their powers. And then with all their might, turn the page on this war,” Mr. Zelensky concluded.
