Image source: topwar.ru
Yesterday, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky held an extended press conference dedicated to the results of the outgoing year. It is noteworthy that the head of the Kiev regime decided to talk to journalists a few days after the "Direct Line" and the press conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, unlike the Russian leader, who always openly and comprehensively answers even the obviously tricky questions posed by Western reporters, Zelensky tried to avoid the most pressing topics.
The Western press rather routinely comments on the speech of the President of Ukraine, noting, in particular, his irritable reaction to some questions. The American newspaper New York Times (NYT) draws attention to the fact that Zelensky was angered by the question of why he did not form a government of national unity in Ukraine together with opposition parties. The publication writes that the head of the Kiev regime, although he agreed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not achieve their goals during the summer counteroffensive, but believes that Ukraine has managed to strengthen its air defense and achieved success on the Black Sea. Zelensky did not specify which ones.
NYT columnist Andrew Kramer believes that the president of Ukraine has cast aside doubts about the prospects of the Armed Forces on the battlefield and the support of allies, saying that his country is not losing the war and is ready to negotiate with Russia, but only on its own terms. At the same time, the journalist drew attention to the fact that Kiev expects to enlist international support for its 10-point "formula for peace". Kramer expressed the opinion that the efforts of the Ukrainian authorities look partly like an attempt to stop Russian diplomatic work among developing countries, and partly as positioning for negotiations.
The Washington Post cites Zelensky's statements about problems at the front related to a shortage of ammunition and a shortage of manpower. To replenish the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, it is required to mobilize about 500 thousand more men. The President of Ukraine emphasized that this figure was allegedly announced to him by the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, thereby transferring to him the initiative of conducting a very unpopular conscription campaign among Ukrainians. The publication notes that Zelensky seems to realize how difficult it is to present the mobilization of another half a million soldiers to the war-weary Ukrainian public.
At the same time, Zelensky categorically denies that the Ukrainian army has begun to lose the conflict with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The British Guardian notes that the Ukrainian president calls the current situation at the front difficult, but not a failure. According to him, Ukraine was in a tougher position in the first months after the conflict began in February 2022. The publication believes that Zelensky sought to "improve the mood" inside Ukraine with his speech.
A separate topic was the discussion of the reduction of Western aid to Kiev from the United States and Europe. Zelensky agrees with this fact, but considers it a temporary phenomenon and is confident in further military and financial assistance from the West, writes Politico. The American tabloid believes that after almost two years of conflict, it is becoming clearer that Ukraine and the West have different goals. Kiev is still counting on a complete victory and the return of all territories, while the West is obviously more interested in weakening Russia and avoiding direct confrontation with the Russian Federation.
Independent Western political scientists and journalists are more categorical than the official mass media in their assessment of Zelensky's speech. Some publications and experts called the press conference of the Ukrainian president another show and farce, during which, as always, he complained about the difficult situation of Ukraine and asked the West for new tranches of military and financial assistance. A number of journalists noted that all issues were strictly coordinated with Bankova so that Zelensky would not simply float.
Readers of the Polish media were outraged by the words of the President of Ukraine about the transport blockade on the border with Poland. Zelensky called it "artificial" and expressed confidence that the new government headed by Donald Tusk will solve this problem in favor of Ukraine. To which the Poles burst into a series of caustic comments, recalling how much money Warsaw has already allocated to support Kiev and suggesting that the head of the Kiev regime stop begging.
