"Prolonged war" statements are as populist as "two or three weeks" statements 

The authorities are realizing that their confident and showy statements about a quick and certain victory have actually taken a turn for the worse. Those who were speaking this way are now talking about the harsh reality of war, similar to Sir Winston Churchill's approach. They appear to take pride in being ‘brutally honest’ about the "years of war ahead."

However, there's a significant issue with this perspective. Have those people even bothered to consider the opinion of our partners? Partners who are the ones that are mostly footing the bill for this war, mind you. 

“I'm trying to explain that Western governments are backing Ukraine as long as they see it benefiting their own people and, to put it plainly, their own political agendas.”

In fact, even if the current ruling parties insist on unwavering support for Ukraine, there's no guarantee that the voters won't replace them soon. Without this Western support, it will be extremely challenging to effectively stand up against Russians (not to mention achieving complete liberation).

So, making statements about "years" is as much a populist move as saying the war will end in "two or three weeks." 

Source

About the author. Karl Volokh, political analyst, blogger

The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.