In a passionate plea for continued international support, Andrii Yermak, the chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has urged world leaders not to forget Ukraine’s ongoing conflict, even in the face of other global crises, such as the Israel-Hamas war.
Yermak’s message comes as Ukraine experienced a renewed wave of Russian drone attacks on critical infrastructure in its southern and western regions, serving as a stark reminder of the ongoing conflict’s severity.
Yermak’s words followed an unsettling notion raised by Italy’s Prime Minister, Georgia Meloni, during a recent prank call with Russian impostors.
Meloni suggested that “a lot of fatigue… from all sides” had set in regarding the war in Ukraine, emphasising the need for a resolution.
However, Yermak emphatically rejected this notion and reminded the world of the long-lasting consequences of inaction.
“Even if there are people who feel this fatigue, I’m sure they don’t want to wake up in a world tomorrow where there will be less freedom and less security, and the consequences of this last for decades,” Yermak told POLITICO.
He encouraged those who questioned their commitment to the conflict to consider historical parallels, adding: “Think for a moment, if Britain in 1939 had felt tired of Poland, or if the US … felt tired of Britain, would there be such a thing as Poland today, Britain, or Europe as we see it now?
“We could not afford fatigue then or now. That will repeat itself for sure if these people with ‘fatigue’ stop supporting Ukraine.”
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has reached a stalemate, raising concerns of a “frozen conflict” that neither side can fully resolve.
The Kremlin appears to be banking on a changeable international situation, with the Middle East in turmoil and a US election year on the horizon, to weaken the international commitment to Ukraine’s cause.
Yermak categorically reiterated that Ukraine refuses to accept a “frozen conflict” and warned that succumbing to “war fatigue” would not only adversely affect Ukraine but also rebound on Western powers.
He suggested that this narrative is being fuelled by Russian propaganda, aiming to undermine the resolve of Ukraine’s allies, particularly as global attention is diverted by the Israel-Hamas conflict.
