Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska says her people are ‘in mortal danger’ of being left to die if west turns its back on their war with Putin’s Russia
- It comes as Congress fights over a new package of support from the US
The first lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska has warned the world will ‘let Ukrainians die’ if they do not continue their support as the war with Russia comes towards the end of its second year.
Speaking with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday, Ms Zelenska said the world cannot ‘get tired’ of the conflict – as a US deal to secure more financial aid appears increasingly out of reach.
The impasse is deepening in Congress despite dire warnings from the White House about the consequences of inaction as Republicans insist on pairing the funding with changes to America’s immigration and border policies.
Support for further financial support for Ukraine is dwindling amongst Republicans, as the White House warns a failure to provide more aid by the end of the year could be catastrophic for Ukrainians.
Ms Zelenska has now said a slowdown in aid represents a ‘mortal danger’ and that it is a matter of life and death.
Speaking with the BBC ‘s Laura Kuenssberg in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday, Ms Zelenska said the world cannot ‘get tired’ of the conflict
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska visit a memorial in Kyiv
The Ukrainian first lady said: ‘We really need the help. In simple words, we cannot get tired of this situation, because if we do, we die.
‘And if the world gets tired, they will simply let us die.’
‘It hurts us greatly to see the signs that the passionate willingness to help may fade. It is a matter of life for us. Therefore, it hurts to see that.’
US Republicans are attempting to force Democrats to agree to harsh measures on the border and immigration as part of the deal which would guarantee more aid to Ukraine.
But this has sparked backlash from the President’s own party.
‘Trading Ukrainian lives for the lives of asylum seekers is morally bankrupt and irresponsible,’ Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill. posted on X as part of a coordinated campaign by Hispanic Democrats.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, spoke in Colorado this week, urging the Americans to stay the course.
‘If we let Putin win in Ukraine, it will be somewhere else next,’ he said. ‘It could be a Nato country — so that could mean American lives. It is the great test for our generation.’
Ukraine is facing particularly tough conditions on the battlefield as winter brings freezing temperatures and poor weather to follow a summer counter-offensive that did not achieve as much as was hoped.
A spokesperson for Putin’s foreign ministry yesterday threatened strikes against other NATO countries as the Kremlin warned a nuclear war is closer than at any time since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
Maria Zakharova – spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry – warned the West that the advanced F-16 fighters delivered to Ukraine will be a fair target for Russia if they are based in NATO countries.
She said that the fourth-generation fighter jets could be based in Poland, Slovakia and Romania, meaning NATO is ‘getting deeper’ into the Ukrainian conflict.
A Ukrainian T-64 tank is pictured as Ukrainian soldiers face increasingly tough conditions as winter arrives
The Ukrainian first lady said: ‘We really need the help. In simple words, we cannot get tired of this situation, because if we do, we die’
Ukraine is facing particularly tough conditions on the battlefield as winter brings freezing temperatures and poor weather to follow a summer counter-offensive that did not achieve as much as was hoped
In August, the United States approved sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands to defend against Russia. They are expected to arrive in Ukraine next year.
READ MORE: As Russia tries to exploit any Ukrainian weakness in the most brutal and pitiless way, Zelensky faces ANOTHER war against a growing army of critics and presidential rivals at home
It comes as Putin confirmed he will seek another term as Russian president, aiming to extend his rule of over two decades.
Vladimir Putin on Friday moved to prolong his repressive and unyielding grip on Russia for at least another six years, announcing his candidacy in the presidential election next March that he is all but certain to win.
Putin still commands wide support after nearly a quarter-century in power, despite starting an immensely costly war in Ukraine that has taken thousands of his countrymen’s lives, provoked repeated attacks inside Russia – including one on the Kremlin itself – and corroded its aura of invincibility.
A short-lived rebellion in June by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin raised widespread speculation that Putin could be losing his grip, but he emerged with no permanent scars. Prigozhin’s death in a mysterious plane crash two months later reinforced the view that Putin was in absolute control.
Putin, who was first elected president in March 2000, announced his decision to run in the March 17 presidential election after a Kremlin award ceremony, when war veterans and others pleaded with him to seek reelection in what Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described as ‘spontaneous’ remarks.
‘I won’t hide it from you – I had various thoughts about it over time, but now, you’re right, it’s necessary to make a decision,’ Putin said in a video released by the Kremlin after the event. ‘I will run for president of the Russian Federation.’
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