Western allies are beginning to exert “pressure” on Zelensky – Bloomberg

Pressure is beginning to mount on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from allies.

This information reported according to Bloomberg, summarizing the outcomes of Zelensky’s trip to the United States.

The report suggests that he now suspects President Joe Biden’s commitment might be wavering, with other leaders possibly following the US example.

Sources cited by the publication indicate that allies are privately urging Zelensky to consider what kind of Ukraine will emerge from the war, as Ukrainian forces encounter difficulties in breaking through Russian defenses. In this context, the issue of corruption is brought up. Bloomberg labels Ukraine as “the most corrupt country in Europe.” According to the report, some countries are prepared to link future financial aid to specific reforms, including support for anti-corruption prosecution.

According to a Western official, there is also a growing discussion about “how long Zelensky can continue his activities before he begins negotiations with the Kremlin.”

Zelensky is also concerned about the upcoming US elections. He was “hurt” by not receiving an invitation to the G20 summit in Delhi this month, although it was the position of the Indian government. Zelensky interpreted this as a sign that US support has become more limited, and it “exacerbated his concerns” that the 2024 election campaign could disrupt aid and weapon supplies to Ukraine.

A Western official agreed that there has indeed been a shift in the nature of support Ukraine receives from its allies in recent weeks. “A series of corruption cases has started to erode the broad support that Zelensky has from the Ukrainian people.”

“Rumors of negotiations with the Kremlin are only getting louder. One British official stated that it would be better to find some solution to the conflict before the presidential elections and that the most likely way to achieve this is to make Ukrainian successes on the battlefield force Putin to come to the negotiating table,” writes Bloomberg.