Ukraine’s Zelensky Gnaws on US Bone

Ukraine’s Zelensky visited US to snap up expected war boost, but his key sugar daddy shrugged instead. It could be a cold winter in Kyiv as his troops are slowly losing ground to the Russian bear.

The WSJ bluntly called Mr. Zelensky’s recent reception in the US as “tepid,” despite touting what he called his “victory plan.” On the Ukrainian’s wish list was more money, more weapons and more security guarantees. But Biden officials, we’re told, “expressed skepticism & said they wanted more details.” President Biden did release already approved military aid, but took a pass at Zelensky’s main request, i.e., permission to strike Russia itself with longer-range missiles. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, reminded Zelensky in a separate face-to-face that his priority continues to be a quick end to the war with “a fair deal for both sides,” whatever that might look like.

Back in his capital, Mr. Zelensky had no choice but to face an increasingly grim reality: In the east, his troops “find themselves outgunned & outnumbered against relentless Russian attacks. Russian troops are jabbing forward at several points along the 800-mile front line,” and thereby threatening to seize all of the eastern Donetsk region, which Putin has already declared part of Russia. It’s true, exhausted Ukrainian troops continue to inflict heavy losses on the Russians, but the enemy with 4 times the population keeps on advancing anyway. Some NATO & EU leaders are increasingly alarmed at the deteriorating situation & are urging the US to get “bolder.” But, the answer to them from DC seems to be the same as it was for Zelensky.

Davd Soul