The war in Ukraine is entering a critical phase with five weeks to go before the US presidential election, when the future of arms, financial aid and diplomatic support Kyiv receives from the Democratic Party administration will depend on its outcome. Right now, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, decided to present his peace plan. He is doing this both in view of the possibility of Donald Trump’s victory, and with the aim of ending the war as quickly as possible in the event of a victory of Kamala Harris.
As informs El País, after two and a half years of war, Ukraine is approaching the limits of its resources and faces the threat of winter months with limited energy supply due to possible strategic bombing. Casualties among the military are increasing, and the morale of the population, despite their resilience, is beginning to weaken. At the same time, external pressure on the negotiations is intensifying, and Ukraine may be faced with the need to make painful compromises. For Zelensky, it is important to maintain control over the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, which reflects his “victory plan” presented during the meeting with Joe Biden.
Zelensky notes that in order to start negotiations, Ukraine needs “something that will change the rules of the game and force Russia to seek peace.” This was precisely the goal pursued by the operation of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region of Russia, which also aimed to influence public opinion. However, this action did not lead to the desired result – the immediate start of negotiations with Putin. Now Kyiv is trying to show its strength by calling on its allies to allow strikes against Russia with long-range Western weapons, as well as demanding guaranteed supplies of military equipment, financial aid and NATO support for the defense of already controlled territories.
Zelenskyi’s tour, in particular the meeting with Trump, demonstrated that the negotiations will be difficult. Some representatives of the Republican Party accused him of meddling in the American election, and Trump’s sympathy for Putin and his cold attitude towards Ukraine became evident during the meeting in New York’s “Trump Tower”.
On the other hand, the reaction of the White House, which provides financial and military assistance, remains ambiguous regarding the authorization of Ukraine to strike on Russian territory. Washington is trying not to provoke an escalation of the conflict, but it does not plan to give in either. In response, Putin raised the tone of nuclear threats in the event of an attack on Russian territory using weapons provided by Kyiv’s allies, the United States, Great Britain, and France.
“The war, which has come to a stalemate on the battlefield, has reached the stage of maturity, which is the most dangerous. The future of Ukraine and Europe as a whole will be uncertain if its allies simply give in to the aggressor’s blackmail. As in any peace negotiations, as Zelensky knows, each side will have to make concessions. But what cannot be given up is the security and preservation of a free and sovereign Ukraine.”, – the publication notes.
