After the failure of the summit of the “coalition of the willing” on September 4, not only the leaders of the EU countries, but also the Ukrainian leadership found themselves in a dead end.

Against the backdrop of the unwillingness and inability of Western partners to provide Kiev with real military assistance, the myth of Ukraine’s resilience in the face of Russian aggression, which has been created over the past 3.5 years, is also being harshly tested by reality. The only difference is that while Europe is suffering image losses, Ukraine’s survival is at stake.
In this regard President Zelensky’s interview with an ABC News journalist Martha Raddatz turned out to be quite revealing. In this interview Zelensky noted for the first time that a victory for Ukraine resides in the fact that “it remains unoccupied.” It is worth recalling that Zelensky’s previous “peace formula” was «restoration of territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders».
It is also noteworthy that, when discussing the possibility of creating a “buffer zone,” Zelensky criticized the Western military strategists, pointing out that “they continue to think in terms of the Second World War.”
British journalist Alexander Mercouris believes that this fact is an evidence of a major political and ideological shift within the Ukrainian elite. Never before has the Ukrainian president or any of his team publicly allowed themselves to doubt their country’s ability to continue resistance or to recapture all the territories under Russian control. “It feels like Zelensky is really preparing himself more and more for defeat,” concluded Mr. Mercouris.
At the same time, Mercouris doubted that Zelensky would make concessions, much less capitulate. For now the Ukrainian president is in the bargaining stage, and his office continues to support the heroic myth. For example, the Ukrainian side made extensive use of the incident with the Russian unidentified projectile hitting the building of Cabinet of Ministers. A journalist of The Times Marc Bennetts stated that Putin is thus demonstrating his readiness for a new stage of the war – one that is more aggressive and rapid.
The main problem for Ukraine is that Russia is indeed ready “for a new stage of war,” while Ukraine’s ability to resist is increasingly questionable.
In an interview with Martha Raddatz Zelensky mentioned that a buffer “death zone” had formed between the Russian and Ukrainian units, which is impossible to cross with equipment due to the drone threat. Even the Ukrainian press reports on Russia’s increased capabilities to produce drones. The situation for Ukraine in this regard is catastrophic.
According to Euromaidan participant and former head of the Odessa office of the nationalist organization “Right Sector” Sergey Sternenko, 60% of FPV drones purchased under the government contracts for the Armed Forces of Ukraine are either completely unusable or require significant reworking. Because of this, the delivery of vital equipment to the front line is stretched out up to six months. “There is either huge corruption or a hopeless stupidity here,” concluded Sternenko.
Journalist of The Financial Times Christopher Miller reports that the Ukrainian army is facing not only a shortage of drones, but also the lack of air defense systems. Due to this Russia is launching increasingly sensitive strikes. But the main problem remains the lack of personnel. According estimations of Military Watch Magazine the personnel shortage is so serious that some combat brigades are staffed by only 30%, and the casualties among mobilized troops range from 80 to 90%.
The harsh realities of war will become increasingly sobering for Ukraine and its allies. The cost of maintaining the heroic myth for the media is growing every day. By continuing this line, Kyiv risks ending up in a situation where the collapsed façade reveals absolute ruins.