December 2022 witnessed critical diplomatic developments regarding the future of the Russian-Ukrainian War that began on February 24, 2022. On December 19, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Belarusian capital Minsk and met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, which was interpreted as Russia’s intention to turn Belarus into a frontline country.[1] Indeed, such allegations are frequently raised. Because Moscow believes that the war is not going the way it wants it to go and therefore wants to confront the Ukrainian army with a new reality in which it will fight on two fronts. Minsk does not seem willing to do so. However, it is unclear how long Belarus can resist Russia’s demands.
Against this backdrop, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky visited the United States (US) on December 21, 2022. After the visit came to the agenda, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reacted to the visit by claiming that the West’s continued supply of arms to Ukraine would lead to a “deepening” of the conflict.[2] Considering this reaction, it can be stated that Russia was uncomfortable with Zelensky’s visit to the US.
At this point, it can be said that Zelensky’s visit had four goals. The first is to ensure the continued flow of military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, which would have to fight both north and south in a scenario that would turn Belarus into a frontline country. This is because Ukraine’s success in the war depends on Western support.
The second is mostly related to the defence capacity of the country in the military context. Because the most important problem that Ukraine has faced since the beginning of the war is the lack of air defence systems. For this reason, Zelensky has stated that the Patriot air defence systems included in the $2 billion aid package announced by US President Joe Biden are of critical importance for them.[3] Kyiv believes that this shortcoming needs to be addressed.
Thirdly, it can be stated that the President of Ukraine aims to make various demands regarding the containment of Russia. In this context, Zelensky demanded increased pressure on Moscow, implying that his country is positioned as a Western actor and that this situation will continue after the war, and addressing Biden’s perspective on the global power struggle through the “Democracies-Otocracies” distinction, he said, “Your money is not charity, it is an investment in the global security and democracy.”[4]
It can be argued that the fourth purpose of the visit is to challenge Russia and to give morale to the Ukrainian people. Because Zelensky clearly conveyed the message that Kyiv is not alone. This is also the reason why the President of Ukraine, in his address to the US Congress, said “Ukraine will never surrender.”[5] In other words, Zelensky wanted to rally the home front while also declaring to Russia, “We will not be defeated.”
On the other hand, Washington, which hosted Zelensky, has two goals regarding this hospitality. First, the US is in favour of prolonging the Russian-Ukrainian war. The prolongation of the war is made possible by increasing Ukraine’s military capacity. This is the reason for the aid.
In this sense, the Biden administration is taking steps to increase Kyiv’s defence capacity through support for Ukraine. Thus, the US ensures that the threat perception of Russia remains alive throughout Continental Europe, which strengthens the culture of solidarity in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which is a US-led security alliance. Undoubtedly, this is meant to secure the US’s global hegemony in Europe. Biden, in a joint press conference with Zelensky, stated that “Putin thought that he would weaken NATO, but instead he strengthened NATO” [6] and thus implied that the war made it easier for Washington to achieve its global interests.
It can be said that the second aim of the US is to restore the image that it lost in Afghanistan by supporting Zelensky. It can be argued that when the US withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, there was a view that it victimized its Afghan counterparts who assisted it during the operation period and did not protect its partners. In other words, the US is attempting to dispel this notion by aiding Ukraine and reassuring its allies.
In conclusion, at a time when Russia wanted to drag Ukraine into a two-front war through Belarus, Zelensky visited the US and gave the message to both Moscow and his people that they were not alone. Considering the statements made during the visit, it can be predicted that the US will continue to support Ukraine and that aid to the Kyiv administration will be brought to the forefront through values such as supporting democracies. It can be argued that through this support, Washington aims both to prolong the war and to gain the trust of its allies. The priority of Kyiv is to ensure the continuity of military aid, especially for the country’s air defence.
[1]Pjotr Sauer, “Putin’s Mission to Minsk Raises Fears He Will Drag Belarus into Ukraine War”, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/19/belarus-ukraine-war-putin-meets-lukashenko, (Date of Accession: 22.12.2022).
[2] “First Response to Zelenski’s visit to the US from the Kremlin!”, Hurriyet, https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/zelenskinin-abd-ziyaretine-kremlinden-ilk-tepki-42191141, (Date of Accession: 23.12.2022).
[3] “Ukrainian President Zelenski in the USA”, NTV, https://www.ntv.com.tr/galeri/dunya/ukrayna-devlet-baskani-zelenski-abdde, d2tkNwoFJ0mVH-sASIU-bg/FA4Om2baIUii_EeSS-gJWA, (Date of Accession: 23.12.2022).
[4]Ibid.
[5]Ibid.
[6] “Remarks by President Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine in Joint Press Conference”, U. S. Embassy in Ukraine, https://ua.usembassy.gov/remarks-by-president-biden-and-president-volodymyr-zelenskyy-of-ukraine-in-joint-press-conference/, (Date of Accession: 23.12.2022).
