Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In his New Year message, Zelenskiy declares Ukraine will fight for peace, with U.S. support vital in confronting Russia’s ongoing invasion and aggression.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a New Year video greeting to his compatriot, stated that no one would give peace to his country as a gift, and he considered the United States would stand alongside Kyiv as it battles to prevent Russia’s 34-month invasion.
Zelenskiy said,
“We know that peace will not be given to us as a gift, but we will do everything to prevent Russia and end the fight, something each of us prefers.”
He recalled discussions with outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden, President-elect Donald Trump, and
“everyone who helps us in the United States. I have no suspicion that the new American president desires and will be able to carry peace and end (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s aggression.”
“He comprehends that the former is inconceivable without the latter. This is not a road brawl where the two sides require to be pacified; this is a full-scale attack by a deranged state against a civilized one. And I believe that, together with the United States, we are competent of the power to force Russia into a just peace.”
Zelenskiy said.
“If today Russia shakes your hand, it doesn’t suggest that tomorrow the same hand will not start destroying you,”
He stated.
“Russians fear those who are free, what they don’t understand. They fear freedom.”
What role does U.S. support play for Ukraine?
As of late December 2024, total U.S. aid to Ukraine since February 2022 marks the conflict with Russia at approximately $175 billion. Most of it is a mix of military assistance and economic support or humanitarian aid. To further detail, around $53.7 billion of that amount has been allocated to direct military aid, mainly through mechanisms such as the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), and Foreign Military Financing (FMF).
What is Trump’s proposed strategy for ending the conflict?
President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly offered a proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict by postponing Ukraine’s membership in NATO in exchange for a ceasefire. His strategy is raising concerns from NATO allies who fear he might ask Ukraine for concessions. He has said that he could end the war in 24 hours, but he has not gone into details, saying that it is all about surprise in the negotiations.