KYIV, Ukraine — As the war moves into its 11th month, the Ukrainian government argues it has lost too much to meet somewhere in the middle.
“It must end with the defeat of the Russian Federation,” Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told Fox News.
Sitting in his office in Kyiv’s presidential palace, Podolyak was calm and adamant.
“We have to get to the end. We will do it for the people who died, who paid the ultimate price.”
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Family and friends stand near the coffin of Ukrainian serviceman Anatoly German during a funeral ceremony in Kramatorsk, Ukraine.
(AP/Andri Andryenko)
According to Zelenskyy’s adviser, the war has already claimed the lives of some 15,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians, including 460 children.
The government points to modern tanks and additional artillery systems as the quickest means to accelerate Ukraine’s advantage on the battlefield.
The United States has provided Kyiv with more than $24.2 billion in security assistance.
“I wouldn’t say that the United States is denying us something,” Podolyak said. “We have the optimal negotiating platform on which we solve our current problems because it is clear that if we win, it will be a victory for the United States.”
Approximately 100 Ukrainian soldiers will travel to Oklahoma’s Fort Sill next week to train in the use of the new Patriot defense system.
A resident walks past a house destroyed by a Russian shelling in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. Two Americans were reportedly killed in the country.
(AP Photo/Andriy Andriyenko)
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Germany recently followed the US in supplying Ukraine with a second Patriot missile system. The surface-to-air missiles are capable of shooting down incoming missiles, which Podolyak says will quickly change the landscape of his defense tactics.
“As soon as it starts working in Ukraine, in addition to the old NASAMS, IRIS, Hawk or Cheetahs systems, plus mobile air defense systems, they will close the whole sky. And we will not care how many cruise missiles Russia has.” says Podolyak.
Russia accused Ukraine of attacks on its territory, including an attack in December that killed 89 Russian soldiers. Kyiv has denied involvement.
“Everything that happens in the Russian Federation has nothing to do with the official actions of the Ukrainian side,” says Podolyak. Instead, he called it acts of internal sabotage.
A dog is seen in the middle of a street as Ukrainian army soldiers take part in a military raid to search for possible remnants of Russian troops after their withdrawal from villages on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 1, 2022.
(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Russia has amassed more troops and equipment in Belarus. The Belarusian Defense Ministry announced that it recently strengthened the Russian-Belarusian air defense force with the addition of new missile units.
Kyiv says it is closely monitoring changes to Ukraine’s northern border, though it argues that Russia lacks the manpower to attack through Belarus.
Podolyak explains that the Russian forces mobilizing there will first go to the Donetsk region.
Since the invasion began, 7.9 million Ukrainians have fled to other parts of Europe, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Of these, 4.9 million are registered for temporary protection.
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Ukrainian officials have advocated global support since the early days of the invasion. President Zelenskyy has addressed international parliaments and even Hollywood award shows.
Asked what Ukraine did wrong in its first year of war, Podolyak says Ukraine should have raised the alarm long before the invasion began on February 24.
“We should have been more aggressive about it,” he said. “We should have better explained to the world that Russia was capable of this.”
A dog walks through the rubble of houses destroyed by a missile attack on the outskirts of Kyiv on December 29, 2022, following a Russian missile attack on Ukraine.
(Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)
The Ukrainian government argues that the cost of financing the war in Ukraine is minimal compared to the potential cost of the war spreading to other territories.
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Though as inflation and cost-of-living crises soar globally, critics in key allied countries have criticized the billions of dollars being sent to Ukraine. Asked what would happen if other countries start to reduce or even eliminate new aid packages, Podolyak says his position is simple.
“This is a rhetorical question because other countries won’t say that,” he said. “That’s for sure because we have passed the point of no return. This is a fundamental issue for everyone.”
