Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was on NBC’s Meet the press to discuss his country’s urgent need for continued support despite rumors that the war may have come to a standstill. The interview revealed that the once dynamic leader was plagued by the telltale signs of wartime leader exhaustion.
In addition to answering questions about rumors of stalemate, concerns about corruption and internal conflict within his government, President Zelenskiy also sought to push for continued support from his biggest benefactor. As support for continued military and financial aid wanes in the West, the Ukrainian president has had to resort to some interesting wording and communication tactics to appeal to Congress and the American taxpayer.
Suppose the United States feels that it cannot afford to send financial or military aid. In that case, Mr. Zelensky proposes to loan it to Ukraine with the promise that they will pay the US back when the war is over. It’s an interesting idea and a shaky promise, given the current state of the war.
BREAKING: Zelensky goes to NBC and is now pitching public loans from the United States.
‘Give us credit and we will pay you back after the war’pic.twitter.com/MKcOnGfqGx
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) November 7, 2023
I’ll be happy to pay you on Tuesday…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky based himself on Popeye’s J. Wellington Wimpy on NBC’s Meet the press:
“Give us credit, and we will give you money back after the war.”
You can hear the desperation in the embattled leader’s voice as he pleads for continued support from the United States. Support for more funding and military aid was already declining before Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel.
With attention focused on the Middle East, President Zelenskiy is finding it even more difficult to convince the world to support his country and maintain its relevance on the world stage. Last month, a Gallup poll found that 41% of Americans think the United States is doing too much toward Ukraine.
RELATED: Zelensky invites Trump to visit Ukraine, drops F-bomb in fiery interview
That number is up from 29% last June. When pressed about concerns that Congress would no longer approve aid to Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky responded:
“They know we are very open; they know we are very clean.”
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His response is a direct nod to concerns about massive corruption within his administration, which has not helped his standing among Republican members of Congress. But as with most international conflicts, it is not what is said openly that can make or break a country’s agenda.
I will be happy to pay you on Tuesday for artillery shells shipped today pic.twitter.com/dYZjI34GZB
— MickeyRat 🇨🇦 (@MakhnoMike) November 7, 2023
Rumor has it
An unnamed senior U.S. official told NBC that U.S. and European officials have been quietly discussing peace negotiations with the Ukrainian government. These discussions reportedly include an overview of what Ukraine is willing to give up to Russia if negotiations can be held.
It didn’t take long for the Biden administration to come out and claim this was nothing more than a baseless rumor. Representative of the Ministry of External Affairs, Vedant Patel, said:
“We are not aware of any discussions with Ukraine about negotiations outside the structure of the peace formula, where you have already seen a number of agreements taking place.”
A number of people like me advocated peace negotiations from the beginning.
We were called traitors (of Ukraine?), Putin lovers and Nazis (OK??)
Now it appears that peace negotiations may indeed be the plan after tens of thousands of deaths and billions of dollars. https://t.co/sGzrxBjmCj
— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) November 5, 2023
President Zelensky echoed this sentiment, saying:
“None of our partners are putting pressure on us to sit down with Russia, talk to the country and give it something.”
In the Meet the press interview, Mr. Zelensky even dropped the F-bomb:
“…we are not ready to give our freedom to this damn terrorist, Putin.”
Even though this unnamed American official spread a rumor for some attention, the seeds of unease between Ukraine and the West have been sown and Ukraine is about to reap the consequences of trusting a fickle international alliance.
RELATED: Ukraine’s Zelensky struggles with corruption as he competes with Israel for support
Diplomatic tightrope
It is not just the US Congress and the US constituency that are causing Mr Zelensky a headache. Earlier this year he fell into a diplomatic spat with Poland over grain export issues.
His words unintentionally portrayed Poles as Russian sympathizers, prompting Polish President Andrzej Duda to describe Ukraine as a:
“…drowning person you could pull down with it.”
The two leaders have since made up, regardless of the accuracy of President Duda’s metaphor. However, this is not the end of President Zelensky’s diplomatic problems.
There is palpable tension within his government. Ukraine’s top general Valery Zaluzhnyi told The Economist:
“Just like in World War I, we have reached the level of technology that is putting us at an impasse.”
This rhetoric goes against what President Zelensky would like to advertise by his country’s military, adding in his interview with NBC:
“I don’t think this is a stalemate.”
JUST IN: CNN reports that the war in Ukraine is an unwinnable stalemate, contradicting recent statements from the Biden administration.
John Kirby: “It’s not a stalemate. They’re not just frozen. The Ukrainians are on the move.”
Jake Sullivan: “We do not believe the conflict is a stalemate.… pic.twitter.com/4u9H1p04oG
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) November 3, 2023
But it is not just Ukraine’s military leaders who think the war has reached an impasse. US military officials have reportedly said privately that the war has reached a stalemate.
As if it wasn’t already clear enough that there is a rift between Ukraine’s elected leader and its military rulers, Zelensky recently replaced the head of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces without consulting General Zaluzhnyi. It generally does not turn out well when politicians try to thwart military leaders when they are engaged in a costly war.
RELATED: Elon Musk Brutally Mocks Zelensky’s Repeated Pleas for $$ – Says America Should Be ‘Top Priority’
Hanging by a thread
Corruption, war fatigue, the Middle East and the upcoming elections in the West are just a fraction of the obstacles standing in the way of President Zelensky’s goal of continued support. Ukraine remains under martial law, and because of that status and the current state of war, Mr. Zelensky recently announced that no elections will be held in Ukraine.
So as the comedian who has become a poster boy for the fight for democracy struggles to gain support, he is also suspending democracy itself.
In one of his recent social media speeches, Mr. Zelensky made the following plea:
“Now everyone should think about the defense of our country. We must unite ourselves and avoid settling and splitting over disputes or other priorities.”
The cracks in the foundation beneath Mr. Zelensky’s feet are widening. Which crack will consume him first?
Will it be the rift between him and his military leaders? Or will it be the inevitable wavering of the United States’ support?
Be that as it may, it is clear that Mr. Zelensky’s credit score is falling sharply, and the chances of him getting a good loan from the US are slim to none.
Zelensky has already taken control of the media, banned opposition political parties and the Orthodox Christian Church in Ukraine. Now he has just announced the cancellation of the March presidential election. Even South Vietnam and Iraq held elections during wars. Biden claims his… pic.twitter.com/PDTnwuqRwH
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) November 8, 2023
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