“Ukraine will lose war against Russia if US cuts military funding” — President Zelensky

On Tuesday, November 19, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed in an interview with Fox News that Ukraine “will lose” its ongoing war against Russia if the United States decides to cut military funding to Kyiv.

Zelensky emphasized the critical importance of continued American support, highlighting that reduced financial assistance could significantly weaken Ukraine’s defense capabilities in the face of Russian aggression.

“If they cut, we will — I think we will lose,” Zelensky said in an interview with the US television network.

“We will fight. We have our production, but it’s not enough to prevail. And I think it’s not enough to survive,” he continued.

US President-elect Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of the substantial financial aid that President Joe Biden’s administration has provided to Ukraine since the onset of the Russian invasion in 2022.

Trump questions the billions of dollars allocated to support Ukraine, arguing that such funding should be redirected towards addressing domestic issues within the United States.

His skepticism reflects a broader debate over the extent of American involvement in foreign conflicts and the implications of continued financial support for Ukraine in the context of national priorities.

Trump has repeatedly promised to end the war quickly, but has not provided details of how he would do so.

This week his allies voiced vehement criticism of Biden’s decision to let Ukraine use US-supplied long-range missiles for attacks inside Russia, accusing him of a dangerous escalation. 

Zelensky told Fox that “unity” between Ukraine and the United States was “most important.” 

Trump, he said, could influence Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, “because he is much more stronger than Putin.”

Putin “can be willing and end this war, but it also depends on the United States of America much more. Putin is weaker than the United States of America,” he said.