Ukraine finds itself in an uncertain position regarding its future security following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent visit to the United States amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, according to a report by The Washington Post on 5 October.
WP notes that Zelenskyy’s visit failed to yield significant results in Washington. President Biden maintained his stance against providing longer-range missiles capable of striking inside Russia. Zelenskyy also faced challenges from influential Republicans, who largely criticized or snubbed him. A meeting with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, Zelenskyy’s first since the start of the all-out war, was hastily arranged after Trump initially declined to meet.
According to WP, Mykola Davydiuk, a Kyiv-based political expert, commented on Ukraine’s current standing:
“Nobody is planning to abandon Ukraine, but Ukraine is definitely not in the top three of main issues for the US right now.”
Zelenskyy’s team attempted to persuade Biden to support the victory plan as a way to solidify his legacy before his term ends. However, the White House is unlikely to take any potentially unpopular actions that could jeopardize Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, according to unnamed officials cited by WP.
Oleksiy Honcharenko, a member of Ukraine’s parliament in the opposition European Solidarity party, expressed skepticism about the victory plan’s potential for revolutionary elements. He emphasized the need for greater support from Western allies, stating,
“If the West would give us the maximum amount of aid, Ukraine could achieve even today a victory in the full understanding of the word.”
Zelenskyy will have another opportunity to pitch the victory plan at an upcoming meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein, Germany, on 6 October, which President Biden is expected to attend. The meeting may result in some form of additional aid for Ukraine, according to a Western diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity to WP.
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