Zelensky to face questions over faltered counteroffensive, other setbacks

KYIV — With a counteroffensive having failed to push back Russian forces occupying nearly one-fifth of his country, and with crucially needed military and economic aid stalled in Washington and Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prepared to face tough questions Tuesday evening at a year-end news conference in Kyiv.

Kyiv’s situation seems increasingly difficult, with frequent reports of shortages in military personnel and weapons. Ukrainian cities are still under constant bombardment by Russian missiles and explosive drones, and Moscow’s troops are pushing to advance at several points along the front line in the east and south.

While the European Union delivered a morale boost last week by agreeing to open formal membership talks with Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked a proposed $55 billion aid package. A proposal by President Biden, for roughly $60 billion in aid, has been blocked for months by Republicans in Congress, who are demanding sweeping changes in border security and immigration policy in exchange for approving the funds.

Zelensky, snared by Trump impeachment, ducks U.S. political crossfire again

Zelensky visited Washington this month in hopes of breaking the logjam but returned to Kyiv empty-handed.

He also visited other capitals, including Buenos Aires and Oslo, in a bid to drum up — or sustain — support.

Meanwhile, reports from the front indicate that Ukrainian forces are running low on crucial ammunition, leading them to curtail some operations.

Moscow glows triumphant as front freezes and Western aid for Ukraine stalls

At his year-end news conference on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russian forces were improving their positions all along the front line. Putin said that his war aims had not changed and expressed confidence that Western aid for Ukraine would dissipate and Russia would win.

Yet Russia’s troops have not advanced during 2023 and have made virtually no progress toward fully conquering the four southeastern Ukrainian regions, in addition to Crimea, that Putin has declared to be annexed by Russia, in violation of international law.

Zelensky is likely to face questions not only about Ukraine’s precarious military situation but also about rising domestic political tension. On Monday, Ukrainian authorities said that listening devices had been found in the offices of the country’s top commanding general, Valery Zaluzhny. The Ukrainian security service, the SBU, said it had opened an investigation but did not say if it believed Russia was responsible for the devices.