Selenskyj’s Perseverance and Putin’s Perseverance Slogans Spectacle on “El Gordo”: The Spanish Christmas Lottery Begins

It was a successful surprise. Volodymyr Zelensky’s trip to Washington – his first trip abroad since the beginning of the war – was completely unexpected. And he only stayed about half a day. But the symbolic power of the short visit cannot be overestimated. It was a signal not only to the US, but to the world.

The Ukrainian wartime president pursued two goals. He wanted to secure continued Western support against the Russian aggressor. Because the war is not over yet, despite the remarkable successes of the Ukrainians. On the other hand, he emphasized the will to persevere of his people, who suffered from missile and drone terror.

On the same day, just a few hours earlier, Zelenskyi’s antipode Vladimir Putin had also addressed the audience. All too often he had not spoken out publicly after the recent defeats. Now the Russian president is speaking at a meeting of the Ministry of Defense on television in Moscow.

pressure from the Trumpists

The contrast could hardly be greater. Zelenskyj’s performances in Washington alongside President Joe Biden and his address to Congress were a display of determination and perseverance. Putin tried to describe the course of the war as a success. In reality, his speech was marked by slogans of helplessness and perseverance.

The stakes were high for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As of January, Republicans have a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. New speaker Kevin McCarthy is actually in favor of military and financial aid to Ukraine. But he is under pressure from the Trumpists, who want to cut spending or stop altogether.

“Money Is Not Charity”

A similar “greeting” to the visitor from the war zone was given by crack charges Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr. The Georgian MP called Ukraine “51. Federal State” and Zelenskyj as “shadow president”. The ex-president’s son called him an “ungrateful social parasite”.

The Ukrainian president’s response was sovereign. “Your money is not charity, it is an investment in global security and democracy, which we will handle in the most responsible way,” Zelenskyi said in English. “Ukrainian courage and American determination” must guarantee the future of freedom.

visit the front

Before the convention, former TV comedian Zelenskyj pulled out all the stops. Humor was also not lacking. There were also gestures such as handing over a Ukrainian flag signed by soldiers from Bakhmut. The president had visited the frontline city, which had been fought over for months, on Tuesday, a day before the trip to the US.

Vladimir Putin has not visited the front since the start of the war in February. In the Kremlin it was believed that the war would not last more than three days. There are now more than 300 and the end is not yet in sight. Failing success on the battlefield, the Russians recently resorted to attacking Ukraine’s energy supply.

«No financial constraints»

On Monday, Putin traveled to Belarus for the first time in three years. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had already dismissed speculation that he wanted to persuade dictator friend Alexander Lukashenko to join the war. Although Lukashenko is completely dependent on Moscow, the war is deeply unpopular among his people.

Putin left empty handed and he too had little to offer in his speech on Wednesday. “I am sure that we will achieve all our goals step by step,” the Kremlin boss said. There are “no financial constraints” on arming the military. Indirectly, he had to admit that drones in particular are a weak point.

Act like you’re normal to the people

However, much more than the expansion of the army to 1.5 million men announced by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ultimately failed to materialize. It is unclear where the additional 350,000 men will come from. Because the Kremlin had effectively declared the partial mobilization ordered in September over.

At the same time, Vladimir Putin stressed that there should be no “war economy” in Russia that would harm the country. It was an obvious attempt to fool the Russian people. With the partial mobilization, Putin himself had torn up the unwritten contract, which roughly states: you leave us alone and we leave you alone.

Russians are tired of war

Up to a million people have fled Russia since the start of the war. Many of them are well educated. About 100,000 IT specialists are said to have left the country. The shortage of skilled workers, aggravated by the mobilization, is weighing on the Russian economy in addition to the sanctions that are increasingly taking effect.

This not only damages the morale of the soldiers, but also that of the population. The enthusiasm for war, which was never particularly pronounced in Russia, is waning. This is according to surveys commissioned by the Kremlin and leaked to the opposition news portal Meduza. 57 percent of those surveyed have had enough of the war.

Hardly an attack soon

Officially, it is still referred to as a “military special operation”. Experts doubt Russia has the capacity for a major offensive, which the Ukrainian high command warns against. In fact, the Russian army mainly strengthens its defense lines in the occupied territories, which does not speak for an early attack.

With no other options, Russia is trying to bomb Ukraine in the cold and in the dark. That demands a lot from people, but their perseverance is impressive. Volodymyr Zelenskyj’s performance in Washington was an indicator of this. He can hope for further support. Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, is left with slogans to persevere.