Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the war with Russia is in a new stage, with winter expected to complicate fighting after a summer counteroffensive that failed to produce desired results due to enduring shortages of weapons and ground forces.
Despite setbacks, however, he said Ukraine won’t give up.
“We have a new phase of war, and that is a fact,” Zelenskyy said in an exclusive interview Thursday with The Associated Press in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine after a morale-boosting tour of the region. “Winter as a whole is a new phase of war.”
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Zelenskyy also said he fears the Israel-Hamas war threatens to overshadow the conflict in Ukraine, as competing political agendas and limited resources put the flow of Western military aid to Kyiv at risk.
This man is going to be remembered and revered for centuries. I’m in awe of his gumption and sheer drive to win this war.
That is true, but he need to make sure he leaves the post when the Ukrainian land is recaptured. I admire what he is doing, but I’m worried that the wartime government will create a system similar to Russia, where the government holds all of the power and the citizens cannot correct its course.
From everything I’ve seen of him, and especially from how I’ve seen him handle the last 22 months, I will be absolutely and truly SHOCKED if he decides to break bad and go the dictator route. He’s a caliber of political leader that I deeply wish the world and my own country had a LOT more of: someone who genuinely seems to give a shit about his country, people, and culture, and simply wants to do the best he can by them in an extremely difficult situation.
If anyone somehow reads that as sarcastic, it’s absolutely not.
I’m with you. He seems genuinely focused on his people and country. However the sayings “absolute power corrupts absolutely” and “road to hell is paved with good intentions” comes to mind.
What I mean is that in wartime, the government seizes a lot of power because they obviously need it. But once the war is over they might keep that power while genuinely thinking that this is the best thing to do to keep the nation safe. And even if Zelenskyy stays benevolent, the guy that comes after him might not. So in my opinion once the war is over Zelenskyy needs to dismantle the wartime institution to restore democracy before he leaves. Reinstitute term limits, limit government control, that sort of thing.
I wholeheartedly agree. That, of course, will be the final crucible Zelensky and Ukraine have to survive once the Military phase of the war concludes. Still, I maintain that Zelensky and the Ukrainian government/political establishment will likely pass that test, because to not pass that test would effectively turn their country into an authoritarian state, and we already know how the Ukrainian populace feels about that. Also keep in mind that a meaningful proportion of their population are now experienced combat veterans who care VERY much about their country, and I would be very surprised if they all simply acquiesced to a new era of dictatorship and/or authoritarianism in Ukraine without organizing some form of extremely effective resistance.
I hope you’re right. I really do.
Going authoritarian would kill their EU membership application, I don’t see it happening.
When he steps down from the Ukrainian presidency, Zelenskyy should be named Secretary General of NATO. After Ukraine joins, of course.