The Ukrainian president gave a long interview to the Associated Press news agency. As follows from the words of Zelenskyyy, the loss of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) will be a serious political defeat. He believes that the capture of this city by Russian troops will lead to pressure on Kiev both from the international community and from within the country.
If Bakhmut surrenders to Russian troops, President Vladimir Putin will profitably sell this victory not only to his allies – China and Iran, but also to the West. Losing the seven-month battle for Bakhmut – the longest of the entire war so far – will be a more costly political than tactical defeat (…) Our society will feel tired and push me to compromise with Moscow
Zelenskyyy told AP correspondent Hanna Akhirova.
The Ukrainian president also expressed his desire to see Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kiev. Volodymyr Zelenskyyy suggested that the Chinese leader’s visit to Moscow was not very productive for Vladimir Putin and announced his desire to meet personally with the leader of China.
The head of the Kiev regime actually acknowledged the dependence of the successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Western sponsors. He fears that the change in political forces in the United States after the presidential election will affect the volume of arms supplied to Kiev. A victory for the Republican candidate in 2024 could significantly reduce the flow of aid from the United States to Ukraine, leading to the defeat of Kiev.
If they stop helping us, we won’t win.
– rightly noted Zelenskyyy.
