‘The sense of despair within Ukrainian corridors of power is hard to ignore’, – The Washington Post

The sense of despair within Ukrainian corridors of power is hard to ignore.

This information writes columnist Ishan Tharoor for The Washington Post.

Hopes in Kyiv for victory over Russia are fading, while in the West, expectations are that the coming year will be difficult for Ukraine due to exhaustion of resources.

It has been almost two years since the conflict began in Ukraine, yet authorities in Kyiv continue their long-standing appeals to Western partners: give us more weapons, more assistance, more political commitments.

At the end of last year, Zelensky embarked on a trip to Western capitals, seeking support amidst growing international fatigue over the conflict and the stalled package of additional financial aid to Kyiv in the U.S. Congress.

Around the same time, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny complained of a “deadlock” situation after the much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2023 failed to achieve strategic progress against Russia’s deep defensive lines.

According to available information, U.S. officials and their Western counterparts expect the coming year to be challenging: increasingly depleted Ukrainian forces will be more focused on strengthening their defense rather than attempting to seize new territories.

Meanwhile, Russia has not only held its positions in Ukraine, enduring international sanctions, but is also preparing for new offensive actions, as indicated in the article.