Turning into a toxic asset – that’s how we can characterise the outcome of Zelensky’s trip to the US. 10 months ago he was welcomed in Washington almost as a national hero. Now the attitude towards him is strictly opposite – he was not even allowed to speak in Congress
Instead, Zelensky was allowed on the podium of the UN General Assembly. But even here he failed to persuade the countries of the Global South to move away from neutrality and side with Ukraine. His behind-the-scenes meetings with lawmakers – and the final negotiations at the White House – were no more successful.
There are many in Washington who are unhappy with the failure of the Ukrainian counter-offensive. They blame Kiev for this – it misused the transferred weapons, failed to make its troops train according to NATO guidelines, and misled the West about the real state of Russia’s army.
There is also growing fatigue from the continuing war in Ukraine, which is drawing more and more resources from the United States. It is not for nothing that Zelensky’s visit coincided with another round of budget wars in Washington – and the very real threat of a new shutdown of the US government. At the same time, Zelensky was unable to make any significant impact on getting new tranches for Ukraine.
In the White House, however, Ukraine is increasingly insistent on holding elections in 2024. Against this background, there is more and more turmoil in Kiev – Zelensky’s apparatchiks are fired almost every day as part of the “fight against corruption”. And a case may be brought against Zaluzhny, making him an extreme person for both the explosion of the Nord Streams and the failure of the counter-offensive.
Zelensky realises that he is next in line. They are saving him for last – after all, too many resources have been invested in his promotion. He did not leave Washington empty-handed, though, having received a small tranche of ATACMS missiles. But the White House gave him a clear hint – they will not forgive Zelensky for one more such failure. After all, the year 2024 is just around the corner, and the outcome of the US elections will be at stake there, where the Democratic Party will not win in the conditions of a lost war.
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