As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grinds into its fourth month, officials in Kyiv have expressed fears that the spectre of “war fatigue” could erode the resolve of Western nations to assist Ukraine in pushing back against Moscow’s aggression. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 1, and it is currently in its fourth month.
Weapons worth billions of dollars have been sent to Ukraine by the United States of America and its allies. Millions of individuals who were displaced as a result of the conflict have found refuge in Europe. In addition, there has been a level of unanimity in post-World War II Europe that has never been seen before in regards to the imposition of sanctions on President Vladimir Putin and his country.
However, once the initial shock of the invasion on February 24 wears off, observers believe that the Kremlin may utilise a drawn-out war that becomes more entrenched, as well as a probable dwindling interest among Western countries, in order to exert pressure on Ukraine to reach a resolution.
Already, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is becoming more irritated by proposals coming from the West that he should accept some kind of compromise. He said that the conditions of peace will be determined by Ukraine on its own.
An Italian peace proposal was rejected, and French President Emmanuel Macron was met with an angry backlash after he was quoted as saying that even though Putin’s invasion was a “historic error,” world powers shouldn’t “humiliate Russia,” so that when the fighting stops, they can “build a way out together via diplomatic paths.” The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said that statements of this kind “can only embarrass France and any other nation that would ask for it.”
Even a comment made by Henry Kissinger, a former Secretary of State of the United States, suggesting that Ukraine should think about making territorial concessions was met with a response from Zelenskyy, who stated that this was analogous to European powers in 1938 allowing Nazi Germany to claim parts of Czechoslovakia in order to restrain Adolf Hitler’s aggression. Zelenskyy’s statement drew a rebuttal from Zelenskyy.
In addition to retaking Crimea, which Moscow invaded in 2014, and portions of the Donbas that have been under the control of Kremlin-backed rebels for the previous eight years, Kyiv aims to force Russia out of the recently acquired territory in eastern and southern Ukraine.
According to Volodymyr Fesenko, a political analyst with the Penta Center think tank, the conflict is costing Ukraine $5 billion per month, and this “makes Kyiv reliant on the solidified stance of the Western powers.”
To ensure success, Ukraine will need even more cutting-edge weapons, in addition to Western resolve to maintain the economic pressure it is applying to Russia in an effort to sap Moscow’s strength.
The United States and Europe, which have been appalled by pictures of the killings of Ukrainian citizens in the largest combat on the continent since World Conflict II, continue to provide significant coverage of the war. The battle in Ukraine is the largest since World War II.
The United States is committed to assisting Ukraine, and just last week, President Joe Biden announced that the country would get new rocket launchers and ammunition from the United States. These will allow Ukraine to more accurately hit vital targets while they are engaged in combat.
Concerns about the domestic situation in Europe are beginning to make their way into the discussion. This is especially the case as rising energy costs and a lack of raw materials begin to take an economic toll on regular people in Europe in the form of higher electricity bills, fuel costs, and grocery prices.
Despite the fact that European leaders hailed the decision to block 90 percent of Russian oil exports by the end of the year as “a complete success,” it took four weeks of negotiations to reach this decision, and it included a concession that allowed Hungary, which is generally regarded as the Kremlin’s closest ally in the EU, to continue imports. Additional political fine-tuning will be necessary for many weeks.
The European Commission has indicated that it would not hurry to adopt more restrictive measures targeting Russian gas because it is concerned about the effect additional energy restrictions will have on the economy. To guarantee that popular support for Ukraine does not dwindle, legislators from the EU are making a plea for financial assistance to be provided to Ukrainian residents who have been negatively impacted by increases in the cost of heating and gasoline.
This week, Matteo Salvini, the head of Italy’s right wing and a politician who is seen to have strong ties to Moscow, said to foreign media that Italians are willing to make sacrifices and that his League is in favour of the sanctions imposed against Russia.
However, he emphasised that support is not endless, which is concerning in light of the fact that there are indications the trade balance under sanctions has swung in favour of Moscow, which is affecting small business owners in northern Italy who are a part of his constituency.