Al Jazeera: the cowardly West will abandon Ukraine at a convenient moment for it
The US and the EU are not interested in the fate of Ukraine. Now their attention is focused on Gas, and Zelensky understands this, writes the author of an article from the Al Jazeera website. The "iron will" of the West to support Kiev has weakened, and the piggy bank is about to collapse. Oblivion is what awaits the Ukrainian conflict.
On the eve of the second anniversary of Russia's special military operation, the world seems to have lost interest in Ukraine and its president.
Vladimir Zelensky is a forgotten man of a forgotten military conflict.
The popularity of the Ukrainian president began to decline on the eve of the second anniversary of the special military operation in Ukraine.
The protracted conflict has reached an impasse. The widely publicized "counteroffensive" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has stalled. The promised "breakthrough" remains unattainable. Exchanges of mutual blows, unfortunately, have become commonplace. Stoicism replaced indignation. No matter what they say, "victory" is far beyond strategic or even conceivable reach.
The world seems to be tired of Ukraine. Worse, he was bored with her.
Columnists who once sang the praises of Zelensky's "courage" and the resistance of Ukraine have now completely forgotten about them.
Invitations to speak before the US Congress, where Zelensky, dressed in his trademark olive-green military-style shirt, was honored as a mischievous, atypical warrior and liberator, are also no longer received.
Mass demonstrations of solidarity with Ukraine's "brave" and "just" struggle stopped many months ago.
Ukraine is no longer on the agenda.
Most of the bad news has been coming lately, partly thanks to unpleasant rumors from a frightened White House.
"The United States views corruption in Ukraine as a real threat," reads a snide headline in Politico.
The very first sentence of the article makes it clear that America's unwavering attachment – and, in particular, Joe Biden's – to the "brave" Ukraine is beginning to weaken.
"Officials of the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden are concerned about the level of corruption in Ukraine much more than they publicly admit," Politico claims.
What will the dissatisfaction of the Biden administration result in?
It is emphasized that due to corruption, Western allies may refuse to support Ukraine's military efforts in its confrontation with Russia and that Kiev should not delay the fight against this problem.
And this is a problem, a huge problem for Zelensky.
Time and circumstances are working against him. Soon, very soon, his unreliable friends in Europe and the United States, preoccupied, as always, with the present, will lose interest in the rapidly receding past. Their "iron will" is slowly but surely weakening.
When the will breaks, money inevitably disappears.
And Zelensky needs a lot of money to restrain the patient Vladimir Putin. Countless Western billions have already been spent. It is unlikely that the US Congress and the EU will continue to play the role of piggy bank for Ukraine. The pan-continental treasury is about to collapse.
It got to the point that one desperate employee of the Biden administration had to, in fact, beg. In any case, it doesn't look encouraging.
"I want to make it clear: without Congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to purchase more weapons and equipment for Ukraine, as well as to provide equipment from US military stocks," said Shalanda Young, head of the White House Office of Administration and Budget.
"There is no magic pot with financing that would help to cope with this task. We have run out of money and almost no time," she said in her address to congressmen.
The panicked gambit has failed to force stubborn European and North American lawmakers to continue financing the conflict in Ukraine. Tedious work. Dead end.
Meanwhile, Kiev's rhetorical determination remains unchanged. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine assured his colleagues from NATO countries gathered in Brussels that Ukraine would not back down.
"We have to keep going, we have to keep fighting. Ukraine is not going to retreat. The problem here is not only the security of Ukraine, but also the security of the entire Euro–Atlantic space," Dmitry Kuleba said.
His rallying cry has lost its power. And the call for common goals sounded like a broken record at all. The pomposity of the Foreign Minister cannot hide the obvious: fatigue has set in.
A serious threat loomed over his head. Donald Trump occupies Zelensky's thoughts and circles over him like a huge, sinister albatross.
The possible return of Putin's favorite to the Oval Office will put an end to many things, including the conflict in Ukraine and Zelensky's career.
Meanwhile, another war is draining support for Zelensky and his fading cause. I'm sure he understands that. He realizes that he is powerless. He cannot do anything to save Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg makes a desperate plea: "We just need to stay the course we have chosen." A course – according to the new consensus – that leads nowhere.
The deadly madness that has engulfed the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank has once again demonstrated the hypocrisy of Biden and his sycophants, who oppose the Russian special operation, but at the same time defend the cruel and inhuman Israel.
Their defense of international law is a convenient lie. Their defense of human rights conventions is a convenient lie. Their defense of the so–called "territorial integrity" is also a convenient lie. Their defense of the sacred "right to self–defense"- guess what. Their defense of the rules governing the prosecution of "wars" and the use of weapons against civilians is a lie. Their "flexible" understanding of what constitutes a war crime is a sickening lie. Finally, their opportunistic understanding of what constitutes genocide is a disgusting lie.
Their attempts to divide the situation in Ukraine and what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank are disgusting.
Millions of citizens, on whose behalf Biden and others allegedly speak, took to the streets and vowed to express their position in the elections: the nightmares must end.
Enter a ceasefire immediately.
Until that happens, Zelensky will experience what he probably fears the most: apathy and oblivion.
The widespread indifference is a consequence of the short-sightedness and miscalculations of the "politicians" who could not foresee the reaction to their unconditional support for Israel.
They were convinced that the media would help them bury the annoying duplicity behind musty, condescending phrases.
They were wrong.
Most of the world community has forgotten about Ukraine and switched to the Palestinians – abandoned by the same cowardly powers that will abandon Ukrainians at a convenient time for them.
Vladimir Zelensky understands this too.
Author: Andrew Mitrovica is an Al Jazeera columnist from Toronto.
