Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky risks losing power if he concedes to Russia, says analyst Dr Julia Roknifard of Taylor’s University, warning that Kiev faces shrinking manpower, munitions and narrowing options in the prolonged war.
00:00Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky risks losing his position if he accepts Russian concessions, according to an analyst.
00:08Dr. Julia Rognifat from Taylor's University says strong opposition inside Ukraine rules out any territorial compromise.
00:16She adds that such a move would undermine Zelensky's authority and threaten his leadership.
00:21Unfortunately, what we are going to see, it's probably that President Zelensky will have to accept what the U.S., majorly the U.S. and then the European camp are going to tell him to do.
00:40I don't know how it's going to play out for Zelensky himself at home, because, of course, there's a strong opposition to any land swap or conceding to any conditions that Russia is trying to impose.
00:55Because in Ukraine, it is said that Zelensky is not authorized to do any of that.
01:00It will definitely cost him not just political credit, but the overall position that he currently has, simply put, he will be deposed as a result of conceding to Russia's position.
01:13On August 11, U.S. President Donald Trump said both Ukraine and Russia would have to cede land to each other to end the war.
01:20His proposal was swiftly rejected by Zelensky, who insisted Ukraine's borders were defined in the country's constitution.
01:26Rokhnefat added that Russia does not intend to reach an agreement with Ukraine directly, but with Western powers instead.
01:34We have moved now to a situation where talks and diplomacy were refused, especially in late 2021, when offers of a security treaty between Russia and the West was rejected.
01:47And that's what Russia exactly is seeking, a deal not with Ukraine per se, but with the West as a whole.
01:54She also warned Ukraine's resources were dwindling, with shortages of manpower and munitions highlighted earlier this year.
02:02With the conflict dragging on, she says Kiev's options are narrowing as its ability to fight weakens.
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