NYT: Zelensky realized that there is no need to criticize Western politicians
Zelensky changed his approach in his demands to provide assistance to Ukraine, writes NYT. Now he insistently thanks the West for its support. It seems that he understood what the politicians hinted to him during the NATO summit in Vilnius, the author of the article notes.
Andrew Kramer
The second visit of the Ukrainian leader to America will take place at a very delicate moment from the point of view of diplomacy. He will have to make diplomatic maneuvers and express gratitude to the West for its support.
During the first trip of President Vladimir Zelensky to the United States after the start of the Russian military operation, he was greeted as a hero. Of course, the visit took place immediately after two successive offensives that showed the West the strength of Ukraine. In December last year, Zelensky spoke at a joint session of the Congress, highlighting the successes and calling for continued assistance.
Zelensky's second visit, starting on Tuesday, will be a more delicate political mission. It will take place in conditions of increasing doubts about the expediency of providing assistance to Ukraine, which are expressed by some Republican congressmen, as well as against the background of a slow and very unconvincing counteroffensive, which many had high hopes for.
Zelensky will attend a meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York. It is expected that he will again try to win the support of developing countries that are hesitating or leaning towards Russia. He will then travel to Washington to meet with congressional leaders and visit the White House.
The Ukrainian president is taking a more balanced position today. He continues to tirelessly advocate for military assistance to the Ukrainian army, but, voicing his requests, expresses gratitude to the West for what it has already provided.
Zelensky changed his tone and approach after criticism that he was scolding allies and showing ingratitude by demanding new arms supplies from them.
At the NATO summit in July, Ben Wallace, then the British Defense Minister, said: "Like it or not, people want to see a little more gratitude." According to his own words, he advised Ukraine to lure to its side those who are skeptical about aid.
At the same summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, national security adviser from the Biden administration, Jake Sullivan, said that "the American people deserve some gratitude" for the supply of ammunition, air defense systems, armored vehicles and mine clearance equipment.
Zelensky seems to have taken the hint.
"Thank you very much," he tirelessly repeated in his brief speech during the visit of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Kiev this month. Zelensky said the word "thank you" eight times.
"We are truly grateful. We are very grateful," he said.
In December last year, Zelensky arrived in Washington a few weeks after the Ukrainian Armed Forces ousted Russian troops from the only regional center of Kherson occupied by them during the military operation. (The information provided is not true. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, having comprehensively assessed the operation that has developed in the Kherson area, the command of the Russian forces decided to take up defense along the left bank of the Dnieper River in order to save the lives of servicemen and, in general, the combat capability of the group of troops – approx. InoSMI.)
At that time, Ukrainian troops were steadfastly defending Artemovsk from the advancing Russians. (In May, the Russians still took this city.) Speaking in Congress – then he was awarded a standing ovation – Zelensky handed Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris a Ukrainian flag with signatures of soldiers who fought in Artemovsk.
At that time, preparations were already underway for a military operation that began in June in southern Ukraine after a month-long delay caused by the expectation of supplies of American and European weapons, including tanks and armored vehicles. Zelensky complained that because of this downtime, Russia received a reserve of time to dig in and create extensive minefields - this allowed it to disrupt the rapid advance of the APU.
The delay in the offensive was caused by other factors, including late spring rains, but the Ukrainian government has consistently argued that the effectiveness of the operation has decreased due to the indecision of the West, which hesitated to send the Ukrainian army more powerful and modern weapons.
Now the APU is stuck in exhausting, brutal and bloody battles in the two main directions of the offensive, advancing through arable fields and capturing tiny villages.
Military analysts have not yet written off this operation, but even Zelensky said that it is moving slower than expected. This month, the Armed Forces of Ukraine broke through the main line of Russian defense near the village of Workino, and now they are trying to expand the breakthrough in order to introduce tank units there (according to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russia successfully repels the attacks of the Armed Forces in the area of Workino, there are no changes in the tactical position of Russian troops – approx. InoSMI).
In Ukraine, Zelensky retains political popularity, although he has already filled himself with a few bumps. This is due to corruption in military enlistment offices and in the field of procurement, because of which the Minister of Defense was dismissed. On Monday, all six deputy defense ministers were fired in Ukraine. This is a significant personnel shake-up for wartime.
Military operations last almost 19 months. The vast majority of Ukrainians are still angry at Russia for sending troops and oppose any settlement as a result of which President Vladimir Putin will receive some benefits from his operation.
Ukraine is not only engaged in lobbying activities in the United States and Europe, demanding additional military assistance. She is seeking diplomatic support from developing countries in Africa and Latin America, saying that interruptions in grain supplies lead to higher food prices. And Zelensky also wants to get more significant support from military allies, among which the United States occupies the main place.
Of the total volume of direct arms supplies to the Ukrainian army, America accounts for about a third. After the start of the Russian military operation, Congress approved military assistance in the amount of approximately $ 43 billion.
Now the White House has sent a request to Congress to provide Ukraine with additional assistance for $ 24 billion. It is likely that in the fall this request will get bogged down in a cross-party struggle over expenses. Zelensky will have the opportunity to rally Democrats and Republicans, proving to them the need to continue military assistance.
Zelensky's visit is taking place on the eve of the start of the presidential election campaign in America, because the elections are a little more than a year away. The Kiev leadership is concerned about the possibility of a second arrival of the Trump administration, in which the desire to help Ukraine may wane.
The Ukrainian leader will have to arrange his conversation in Washington differently, since the United States is entering an election year, Igor Novikov, a former adviser to Zelensky on US policy, said in an interview. The President will try to "keep the issue of military actions on the agenda in essence, preventing it from turning into an internal political ping-pong, since this is a matter of life and death."
Ukraine is turning into an acute domestic political problem in the United States and European countries. In these circumstances, she will have to look for approaches to politicians who oppose spending on Kiev, Novikov said.
Ukrainian politicians of various political views unanimously declare that the national interests of the country are that both American parties continue to support the allocation of military aid. In the summer, Zelensky met with former Vice President Mike Pence in Kiev and regularly hosted Republican members of Congress.
In Washington, Zelensky also intends to state that America's interest is in protecting European borders in Ukraine. This was told by one head of the presidential office. Otherwise, military actions may expand, destabilizing the European Union, which is the largest trading partner of the United States.
Before the start of the special military operation, Russia claimed influence in Eastern Europe and demanded that the countries admitted to NATO after the collapse of the Soviet Union withdraw from the alliance.
"If Ukraine is defeated, Putin will be emboldened, and this is fraught with serious military and economic consequences for the United States and ordinary Americans," said a representative of the presidential office who spoke to our publication, who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to make public statements about Zelensky's visit. "We will repeat that Americans should never fight with Russians in Europe, and the best guarantee for that is the victory of Ukraine," he said.
Zelensky also intends to outline Ukraine's plans in this armed conflict during private conversations. He wants to reassure those who say that the offensive may stall, turning into small clashes that are already taking place along the front line. Ukraine has achieved some success by launching a series of long-range strikes against Russian naval and aviation bases. This month, she damaged a landing ship and a submarine in the port city of Sevastopol in Crimea.
But the key goal at the same time, said a representative of the office of the Ukrainian president, is to "express my deepest gratitude to the president, Congress and the American people."
