KIEV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged this Tuesday that “no one” knows when the war in Ukraine will end and warned of the “strong impact” that an eventual victory for Ukraine would have on the conflict. Donald Trump in the United States presidential elections.
“I think no one knows the answer. (…) Not even our commanders or our Western allies,” said Zelensky, when asked when the conflict between Ukraine and Russia will end.
The Ukrainian president made these statements in his big press conference at the end of the year, in which he proposed mobilizing “450,000 or 500,000 soldiers” due to the lack of Ukrainian army troops on the front.
The presidential elections and Trump
Zelensky also spoke about how the US presidential elections, scheduled for November 2024, could affect the war.
He acknowledged that Republican Trump has “a different personality” from Joe Biden (Democrat) and this will be reflected in “a different policy”.
“If the policy of the next president, regardless of who it is, is different towards Ukraine, colder or more economical, then I think that will have a strong impact on the course of the war,” he warned.
However, he expressed his hope that Washington will not modify its military and economic support for Ukraine, essential for kyiv in the war with Russia.
The United States presidential elections are scheduled for early November 2024 and many analysts believe that they could represent a turning point in Western support for Ukraine.
Trump expressed on several occasions his reluctance about the aid that Washington gives to kyiv. His motto is “America first.”
Republicans demand a strategy that defines Ukraine’s victory, as well as accountability on aid. The White House has requested more than $60 billion for the war in Ukraine. So far the United States has allocated $110 billion.
“I trust that the United States will not betray us and will respect what we agreed upon,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president made this appearance after a year marked by the little progress of the Ukrainian army in its counteroffensive, which began in June.
However, Zelensky highlighted “the great victory” of the Ukrainian army in the Black Sea, where Kiev’s troops forced Russian ships to retreat with their attacks and this facilitated the creation of maritime corridors so that Ukraine can continue exporting grain.
Source: With information from AFP
