Ukraine, seeking support from its allies

After almost two years of war and a major Russian attack on Kiev on 13 December, Western support for Ukraine’s defence is dwindling. Volodymyr Zelensky is stepping up his diplomatic efforts, holding a series of meetings and speeches to preserve this vital support, which is now the subject of disputes: in the US Congress, the Republicans are blocking a new aid plan. The Council of Europe, meanwhile, is being held back by blackmail from Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, which has vetoed the €50 billion in European aid for Ukraine. Meeting at a summit in Brussels on 14 and 15 December, European leaders nevertheless reached an agreement to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. On the Russian side, Vladimir Putin and his military ambitions remain inflexible. The man who has held the Kremlin for almost 25 years has announced his candidacy for a 5th term and, at his major annual press conference, reaffirmed that “the demilitarisation of Ukraine and its neutral status” – unthinkable for Kiev – would be “negotiated or obtained by force”.

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