Despair, anti-West sentiments are Ukraine’s next challenges after war with Russia

Only a few days remain until the U.S. elects a new president. At this moment, it's entirely unclear who America’s next leader will be or how this will impact future support for Ukraine.

Kamala Harris's team includes many from Barack Obama’s circle - a time that instilled confidence in Russia that Washington was no longer formidable, allowing it to chip away at neighbors without consequence. J.D. Vance, a young talent aiming for vice president under Trump, hesitates to openly call Putin an “enemy.” In a recent press interaction, he cautiously referred to him as a “competitor” and “opponent.”

It’s no surprise that European populist politicians like Slovakia’s Robert Fico or Viktor Orban are lying low, waiting for a photo op with Trump. They’ll continue pressuring Brussels for funds, claiming they "avoided becoming a second Ukraine" thanks to their moderate stance on Russia.

The fear of “not becoming like those Ukrainians” has become very popular lately. The current Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, went public with his assessment of the US election campaign and hinted that he and his party are for Donald Trump. He said, “If Trump wins the election, the war in Ukraine will end faster. Therefore, our region will calm down faster, which will change the attitude, in particular, towards Georgia. If there is peace in the region, the attitude towards Georgia will change as well.” 

“Honestly, Russia had to keep chipping away politically at Georgia before quietly occupying it, whereas in Ukraine, a full-scale war has raged for almost three years - and Putin has yet to achieve even the minimal goal of taking the Donbas.”

This kind of rhetoric bombards the minds of Ukrainians on a daily basis. Especially when it is thrown in with the statements of Biden, who will soon retire from politics, that if the North Koreans enter Ukraine, then they can be attacked. Thank you, captain, who knew that we would have to fight the DPRK under the ribs of the Sumy region.

In such turmoil, it’s hard to maintain trust in the West. Ukrainian authorities have complicated matters further by monopolizing all discussions with international partners, to the point where phrases like “Ukrainian sacrifice” and “our resilience” no longer resonate as deeply with many.

Then, in Western publications (again, not in the Ukrainian media), Zelenskyy's demands from secret annexes to the victory plan began to appear. And when your president demands Tomahawks from the United States, it is logical that this is not feasible. But when the NYT writes that this is how Mr. President wants to prepare Ukrainians, that it's time to go and negotiate with Russia somehow, and make the West a convenient scapegoat, the situation is alarming. 

“It is quite possible that Zelenskyy and his team will try to run for election a second time. And there, they will tell in all the bright colors about Biden's betrayal on the eve of the war, and how they were not given Tomahawks. Carefully concealing their own failures with mobilization, the desire to create “parallel tracks” in the management of the army, and the many corrupt officials who gained access to the trough thanks to the “Ze” sticker.”

Anti-Western sentiments and their active incitement hindered our smooth path to NATO during Yushchenko’s time. Protests against "Gayropa" and "NATO’s Black soldiers" significantly slowed our progress, setting us back. Ultimately, Merkel's remark that she didn't support our Western move because our people didn’t strongly want it was spot-on. Early Yanukovych-era polling showed Ukrainians' disillusionment with the European direction and a certain retreat into the post-Soviet mindset.

Back then, it seemed that the peacefulness of Ukrainians and our special way would allow us to get by and live a simple life - a little friendship with Russia, a little trade with Belarus, and some inspiration from the showcase of reforms in Georgia. 

However, the easy recipes for success have led us into dark times with the wrong leaders and the wrong team in difficult times to effectively lead the country to victory. Therefore, despite what the messengers from all sides are secretly agreeing on in their offices in the Middle East, we have very few options to get out of this. Either we become real adults in the real hard world, or our death will be delayed. 

Unfortunately, in over thirty years of independence, Ukraine has rarely punished collaborators and those eager to kneel before Putin to become gauleiters. Therefore, it’s likely that forces are lurking somewhere in Vienna, ready to revive old narratives about Bandera, "suicidal nationalism," the "Maidan activists," and the "bad Armed Forces of Ukraine" if things don’t turn out well here.

Escalating despondency and emotional swings are our second enemy after Putin's army. It is they who can allow Moscow to take over Ukraine after it has failed to occupy Ukraine militarily. 

Especially for Espreso

About the author: Maryna Danyliuk-Yarmolaieva, journalist.

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