Interview
War in Ukraine: The Economist interviews President Zelensky
- The speaker asserts certainty that the country will continue fighting until the last city remains, noting that the strategic situation was understood months prior to escalation.
- Current sanctions regarding the SWIFT system and banking infrastructure are incomplete, with the majority of banks and central banks yet to be disconnected.
- Military priorities are identified as airplanes and tanks, though a significant deficit in tanks persists despite some acquisitions from retreating forces.
- The speaker warns that bad signals regarding potential Russian use of chemical weapons could halt the process of unlocking cities, while the lack of food, medicine, and water prevents the Ukrainian army from seizing military initiative.
- Russia is described as having a "hungry appetite" and currently deploying "thousands" of troops, creating a high-cost military situation.
- Fundamental decisions regarding cities are expected to be made to prevent further Russian expansion.
- Germany is predicted to act conjecturally and potentially weaken support as internal political pressure mounts, characterized as constantly wrong in its approach due to specific pragmatic ties with Russia.
- Some European countries are characterized as being willing to end the war at any price due to their dependence on the Russian market, while Britain is viewed as not hedging its bets.
- The speaker predicts the war cannot be resolved in a week and notes that some small cities have already been destroyed to the point of non-existence.
- Compromises are considered viable only if they preserve territorial integrity, which the speaker cites as the current reason for winning, while any compromise leading to national collapse is rejected.
- The speaker expresses uncertainty regarding the future resolution and outcome for Ukraine following the current conflict.
- Situations in areas like Mariupol involve a global worldview clash where soldiers remain to bury the dead and save the wounded while civilians are still present.