Ukraine is going through its worst moment since the Russian invasion and the conflict is overshadowed internationally
War between Russia vs. Ukraine
The conflict that began in 2022 between Russia and Ukraine has continued to this day, and worsens with each passing day. Russian President Vladimir Putin maintains his goals and reiterates that there will be no peace until they are achieved. To date, a total of 671,000 Russian soldiers remain fighting in Ukraine, of which 244,000 were called up during the war. Putin's invading forces occupy around 20% of the neighboring country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski keeps the Armed Forces defensive only with external assistance, mainly from the United States. However, White House officials warn congressional leaders that the North American power is running out of time and money to help Ukraine in the face of war. From this perspective, Ukraine's disadvantageous scenario portrays a lack of international support, as the Russian-Ukrainian war is overshadowed by other international conflicts.
The conflict between Israel and Palestine affects the war.
In contemporary times, the globe remains attentive to the Middle East region following the brutal outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. What previously focused the world's attention, the Russia-Ukraine war, is currently being directly impacted by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The worst news, immediately, is for Kiev. After years of relative inactivity, the Middle East returns to the center of concern for the United States and the West in general. The difficulties that Volodymyr Zelenski was having months ago tend to be accentuated with the dispersion of focus on combating the Russians.
At this moment, the Republican opposition in the US Senate, vetoing the Democratic package that provided around R$300 billion for Ukraine in 2024, contains the justification that the measure includes support for Israel's war against Hamas. Thus, the potential issue over ammunition and depots belonging to Washington comes to the fore to support the Israeli anti-war ally.
US support for Ukraine
In contrast, US President Joe Biden declares that the US will continue to support Ukraine as long as possible. In a press conference with the Ukrainian president, Biden reinforces the supply of weapons and critical equipment to the country as long as he can. This change reflects the main obstacles in approving the new assistance package for Ukraine, provided by the US government. After the meeting, Zelensky, along with other lawmakers on Capitol Hill, appeared that new aid would not be made available before the end of the year.
However, high expectations are estimated by President Joe Biden, as he commented that he approved US$200 million in aid for Ukraine. Despite this, both presidents resisted during the press conference the assertion that the Ukrainian counter-offensive is at a standstill. Zelenski claims that successes on the battlefield "were not easy", but his country managed to resist well.
However, the Ukrainian hope placed on the counter-offensive, with bells and whistles, becomes harmful, given that there is insufficient weapons and NATO training for soldiers. Even though it made occasional gains, Ukraine failed in its objective of cutting the land connection between Russia and Crimea, by occupying eastern and southern Ukraine. Unfortunately, it is too early to give any outcome to the conflict, but it is a fact that Russia remains firm in the invasion. If Putin failed to overthrow Zelensky and dominate all of Ukraine last year, the Russian president ends 2023 in a favorable position.
By Isabel de Castro Ribeiro em 14/12/2023
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