I'm Dan Kurtz-Falen, and this is the Foreign Affairs Interview.
What really matters is that we stay focused on ending the wars,
on stopping people suffering, on restoring peace, instead of finding excuses for not doing so.
Ukraine may be facing the toughest chapter of its war since the first days of Russia's invasion.
Its top general has used the word stalemate, and front lines have changed little over the past year.
In the West, the political tides may be shifting, especially in the United States,
where Republicans in Congress are holding up new aid to Ukraine.
Since the war began,
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba has been tirelessly and eloquently making the case for Ukrainian victory on the world stage as well as on the pages of foreign affairs.
He joined me on January 23rd to discuss why the West should not give up on Ukraine and its prospects of victory in the months and years ahead.
Foreign Minister Kuleba,
thank you so much
for joining me and for the series of notable contributions you've made to foreign affairs over the last few years.
Well, it's my honor to appear on your pages.
So let me start with something that you wrote in foreign affairs last month with regard,
of course, to the war.
you wrote, quote, pessimism is unwarranted,
and it would be a mistake to let defeatism shape our policy decisions going forward.
So I want to start by laying out what I think is the fairly pessimistic view that has become fairly widespread in US and allied policy circles right now,
and have you react to it or critique it kind of point by point.