Editorial board of one of Britain's oldest newspapers: West cannot "forget" about Ukraine
The Observer, believed to be the oldest Sunday newspaper in Britain and the world, has published an editorial stressing that Western countries should not allow their support for Ukraine to falter amid other challenges.
Source: European Pravda
Details: The Observer, which has been owned by The Guardian since the 1990s, published an editorial entitled "Looking at the war in Ukraine: The West can't afford to forget about it" this weekend.
Quote: "Volodymyr Zelenskiy is in dire need of support as his counteroffensive against Russia stalls and the risk of stalemate looms."
The Observer notes that recent events in the Middle East have drawn the attention of the international political community and the media away at precisely the time when the Russian-Ukrainian war has entered a critical period.
"This is understandable but nonetheless alarming. The principal beneficiary of this loss of focus is Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, who ordered an illegal, unprovoked full-scale invasion," the writer noted.
The writer noted that earlier this year, the Ukrainian authorities and Western allies had high hopes for the counteroffensive, but after five months of attempts by Ukrainian forces to break through Russian minefields and entrenched defences, the result was "disappointing".
The editorial drew attention to a recent column by Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, in which he admitted that Ukraine faces the risk of a long-term war of attrition, which plays into the hands of Russia with its greater resources, and that Ukraine needs a technological advantage to seize the initiative.
"Ukrainian troops continue to fight with extraordinary courage and valour, but they risk exhaustion as a second winter of fighting looms. Estimates suggest that Moscow’s forces have sustained huge losses in recent battles. Yet it is evident that Putin and his generals care little for the lives of their young conscripts… Instead, Putin is intensifying drone, artillery and missile attacks," the writer noted, reminding that with the onset of cold weather, one of Russia's goals will once again be the destruction of energy infrastructure to put pressure on the entire civilian population.
The Observer says there are currently no real prospects for any peace talks because both Ukraine and the Kremlin reject the suggestion that the situation on the battlefield is deadlocked.
At the same time, Kyiv fears that after the allies' "unrealistic expectations" for the counteroffensive, Western support will begin to weaken in the absence of tangible progress. The first signs of this can already be seen in the US, where Republicans have refused to support Biden's request for a joint budget for aid to Israel and Ukraine, as well as border protection measures.
"The White House, backed by Senate Democrats, is determined to keep faith with Ukraine – for reasons beyond the immediate conflict. Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, was clear. 'I can guarantee that without our support, Putin will be successful,' he told the Senate – and such an outcome would imperil Russia’s other neighbours," the writer emphasised.
The Observer mentioned recent remarks by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who said Russia sees Poland as a "dangerous enemy" whose support for Ukraine risks "the death of Polish statehood".
"With Putin apparently intent on 'victory', whatever that means and whatever the cost, now is not the moment for the West to waver in its support for Ukraine," the Observer concludes.
Earlier, NBC News reported that officials from the US and the EU had begun discussing with Ukraine the possibility of peace talks with Russia.
President Zelenskyy later stated that no one in the EU or the US is pressuring him or pushing him to negotiate.
Lithuania’s foreign minister has warned other countries against the trap of a peace treaty with the Kremlin, saying that concessions to Russia would undermine all hope of a peaceful future for Europe.
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