Last month, US president Joe Biden made a statement which revealed his administration is quietly shifting away from its strategy of support for Ukraine. At a news conference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Biden said the US would support Ukraine for “as long as we can”, moving away from his previous pledge of support for “as long as it takes”.
That same week, Hungary blocked a €50 billion EU aid package for Ukraine, hours after European leaders agreed to begin accession talks to the eastern European nation.
Twelve months ago, Ukraine had recaptured territory and was optimistic about reclaiming more land. However, the front line is still roughly where it was a year ago and Russia’s grip on the Ukrainian land it now occupies has barely loosened.
Meanwhile, international aid for Ukraine reportedly dropped 90 per cent between August and October 2023, when compared to the same period the year before. Rumours of a push for ceasefire talks are growing, while the conflict in Gaza is pushing media attention further and further away from the Ukraine-Russia war.
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But would Ukrainians ever accept a compromise with Russia? And even if they do, can Vladimir Putin be trusted to adhere to any peace agreement rather than regrouping, rearming and striking again?
EU accession talks may have given Ukraine a brief psychological boost, but with western support waning, what happens next as the Ukraine-Russia war enters its third year?
Today, on In the News, is the West retreating from the Ukrainian cause? Irish Times journalist Dan McLaughlin reports on growing international fatigue towards the war in Ukraine.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon.
