On December 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held his end-of-year press conference, where he spoke to the media about his relationship with Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi, mobilization, aid from the West, and comparing the war in Ukraine to the Israel-Hamas war, among other topics. Meduza is sharing the key highlights.
On Zelensky’s relationship with AFU Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhnyi
In response to a request to comment on Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zelensky said that the two have a “working relationship.” He added that Zaluzhnyi is “responsible for the results on the battlefield as Commander-in-Chief.”
“I’m not talking about any complicated personal relations. Ukraine as a country is not about personal [relations]. For a second, we’re talking about a country of 40 million people,” said the Ukrainian president.
At the end of the press conference, Zelensky answered another question about the AFU Commander-in-Chief:
Zaluzhnyi is my representative, just like everyone who I appointed. I’m proud of some people on my team, and ashamed of others.
On mobilization
Zelensky said he had not yet approved Ukrainian Armed Forces’ General Staff suggestion of mobilizing another 400,000-500,000 people, since they don’t yet have a clear picture of the rotations and leaves of absence for active military personnel.
On when the war will end
“I think no one knows the answer, even our commanders or Western partners. They don’t know. These are just thoughts, and thoughts often differ from reality,” Zelensky said in response to a question about whether he agrees with Western leaders that the war could go on for a long time and that it won’t end in 2024.
On aid from the West
“I’m confident that the U.S. won’t betray us, and that the U.S. will completely fulfil what we agreed to,” said Zelensky about the allocation of a new aid package from the U.S., which Congress has been unable to agree on for several weeks.
Zelensky also expressed confidence that the E.U. would allocate funds to Kyiv “in the near future.” According to him, other mechanisms for assistance will be found if the 50 billion euro (around $55 billion) transfer isn’t agreed upon.
On comparing the war in Ukraine to the Israel-Hamas war
When asked whether he sees similarities between the situation for civilians in the Gaza Strip and civilians in Ukraine, and whether he would call the civilian deaths in Gaza a massacre, Zelensky responded:
We recognize this tragedy and recognize that the humanitarian impact on both countries’ territory is horrifying. We recognize the independent people of Israel and the independent people of Palestine. But I can’t compare it and equate it to our situation.
Russia’s occupation and invasion of Ukraine didn’t start with a terrorist attack on Russian territory by people with Ukrainian citizenship. No one did that. We lived in our independent country. The enemy came to us and killed our people, that’s why these are different things. And my condolences once again.
On Ukraine’s domestic production of drones and ammo
There should be infrastructure, not Soviet, but simple and clear [infrastructure], both for the production and for the delivery of drones to the front. Personally, I’m shocked that what we have already manufactured can fail to reach the front.
Next year we will produce one million drones. Artillery will also increase. As for shells, it’s very difficult.
On Germany’s support for Ukraine
In response to a question about whether Zelensky believes German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Germany will support Ukraine to the end, Zelensky said that Germany is Ukraine’s second largest military and financial supporter, thanking its government and society. “To the end or not,” Zelensky added. “We’ll see.”
On what a Donald Trump presidency would mean for Ukraine
I think that America as a whole will not change its mind. But a leader obviously has influence over society. The first signals from the next U.S. president, whoever it may be, will have an impact. These signals will have a very strong influence on the course of the war in Ukraine.
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Translation by Sasha Slobodov