Zelenskiy: ‘I asked Orbán why he doesn’t support us being in the EU. He was not able to give me an answer’

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is convinced that the EU’s €50 billion financial lifeline, vetoed by Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán, will arrive “soon” along with more support from other allies. “We are working on it,” the Ukrainian leader said Tuesday in Kyiv, at his annual press conference. Zelenskiy has defined the EU’s decision to open accession talks as a “great victory” for Ukraine, after Hungary lifted its opposition. He recognized, however, that the relationship with the Hungarian nationalist-populist prime minister, who he met in Buenos Aires a few days ago, is complex. “In Argentina, I asked Orbán why he doesn’t support us being in the EU. He wasn’t able to tell me,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Perhaps his policy is not very friendly towards Ukraine, although we are neighbors and have common challenges,” he remarked.

The opening of accession talks with the EU has boosted Ukraine’s morale — especially as it faces the second winter of Russia’s large-scale invasion. But the country is also facing a difficult economic situation, as it awaits more than €100 billion in pending financial support from Washington and Brussels. Ukraine needs this aid to stay afloat during a war with no end in sight. “Nobody knows when it will end,” admitted Zelenskiy on Tuesday. Ukraine and Zelenskiy are going through one of their hardest moments since the start of the war.

Russia has reinforced its defenses and entrenched its position on the front lines of the occupied territories in the east and southeast, while at the same time ramping up the war economy to make weapons. Meanwhile, Ukraine is advancing only a few meters in a counteroffensive in which great hopes had been placed. Indeed, some analysts are beginning to wonder whether Kyiv has begun to lose the war. Zelenskiy, dressed in his now traditional military uniform on a highly televised stage with a brightly lit map of Ukraine, flatly denied that this was the case.

“Regarding the battlefield, Russia has not achieved any of its objectives for this year,” Zelenskiy said. “And yet, it has not changed its message about its objectives.” Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin maintained that the goal was still the “demilitarization” of Ukraine.

With respect to the limited progress of the counteroffensive, Zelenskiy avoided talking about new goals, if there are any. “[Months ago] everyone was talking about goals and debating the details of how to achieve them,” he said. “It shouldn’t be done like this, because Russia still has more weapons,” he stated.

The EU and other partners are having difficulty supplying ammunition and cutting-edge weapons more quickly, and Kyiv also needs more soldiers. But unlike the large wave of volunteers who enlisted in the early stages of the invasion, few want to go to the front now.

Zelenskiy revealed that the army — which recently intensified its recruitment campaigns — is seeking to mobilize between 450,000 and 500,000 new recruits. But the issue, he stressed, is “very sensitive,” and needs further debate and consideration. If the mobilization is approved — it would have to be adopted by Parliament — additional financing would also be needed, added Zelenskiy.

Ukraine is under increasing pressure as Western support to financially support the country wears thin. In the United States, due to internal political struggles — namely the opposition of Republican hardliners — the White House has not been able to approve a $60 billion package for Ukraine. Hungary’s move to block EU aid to the country is yet another setback. The 27-member bloc will not address the issue again until February. But Zelenskiy remains confident. “I am sure that the United States will not let us fall,” he said on Tuesday.

Zelenskiy’s visit last week to the United States, however, did not succeed in winning support for the aid package. What’s more, the possible victory of Donald Trump — who has questioned Democrat Joe Biden’s policy on Ukraine — in next year’s presidential elections, could put Ukraine in an even more difficult position. Zelenskiy acknowledged that the Republican’s return to the White House would have a big impact on the war.

The anxious wait for Western aid, the situation on the front line and the fatigue of a population that has been resisting Russia for almost 700 days has also translated into political tensions. In recent weeks, Zelenskiy has reportedly had certain disagreements with Ukraine’s military chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. The president censured his top general after he said that the war had reached a stalemate.

“We have a good working relationship,” said Zelenskiy, who implied that Ukraine’s results on the battlefield were the responsibility of the military leadership and, therefore, Zaluzhnyi. The military chief’s approval ratings have risen in recent months, while the president’s figures have slightly fallen.

“Whatever position you occupy, it is about taking responsibility for the day-to-day results,” concluded the Ukrainian president, who also said that given the war, now is not the time to call elections. His term is set to end next year, but holding a vote would be impossible under martial law.

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