Zelensky’s New Year’s Warning to the West on Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky issued a warning to the West about its support for Ukraine as his country’s military continues defending itself against a Russian invasion heading into 2024.

The Ukrainian president warned that his country’s Western allies shifting focus away from providing financial support to Kyiv could result in dire consequences at home, in an interview published in The Economist.

His remarks come nearly two years after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the “special military operation” of Ukraine on February 22, 2022. Much of the world views the invasion as an attempt to seize Ukrainian territory that lacks justification, though Putin has offered explanations including the need to “liberate” eastern Ukrainian territories and to “de-Nazify” the Ukrainian government, though Zelensky himself is Jewish.

The West has provided Ukraine billions of dollars in support since the invasion began. Military analysts say Western aid helped bolster Ukraine’s defense efforts. They say the aid, as well as myriad issues within Putin’s military such as low morale, has prevented Russia from making substantial gains after the first few months of the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a news conference on November 21, 2023, in Kyiv. Zelensky warned the West about the consequences of dwindling Ukraine aid heading into 2024.
Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

But as the war nears its third year, Ukraine faces questions about whether its allies will continue providing substantial aid. In the United States, President Joe Biden has cast himself as a strong supporter of Ukraine but faces resistance from the Republican-led Congress and some Americans who have become weary about foreign aid they believe could be better spent domestically.

Zelensky outlined why he believes the West should continue backing Ukraine.

“Giving us money or giving us weapons, you support yourself. You save your children, not ours,” he told The Economist, adding that Russia will “violate the rights in the world” if it is allowed to violate the rights of Ukrainians.

He warned that Russia will bring conflict closer to the West if Ukraine loses the war.

“Putin feels weakness like an animal, because he is an animal. He senses blood, he senses his strength. And he will eat you for dinner with all your [European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization] freedom and democracy,” he said.

As aid from the U.S. threatens to dry up in the coming months, some European leaders have also warned Ukraine about their continuing ability to provide aid. Germany, for instance, has said it would not be able to make up for lost aid from the U.S. Meanwhile, polls released last year suggested European support for providing Ukraine aid has dropped since 2022.

Biden has requested Congress to allocate $60 billion for Ukraine as part of a larger package also containing funds for Israel and the U.S.-Mexico border, but this package lacks support from House conservatives.