Overview

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the war with Russia is entering a new phase as winter approaches, complicating the fighting conditions.
• Despite setbacks in the summer counteroffensive due to shortages of weapons and ground forces, Zelenskyy insists that Ukraine will not back down.
• Zelenskyy has expressed concern that the Israel-Hamas conflict and the upcoming U.S. elections could divert international attention and resources away from Ukraine.
• Zelenskyy is calling for Western allies to provide cheap loans and licenses to manufacture U.S. weaponry, stating that a militarily self-sufficient Ukraine would be a significant deterrent to Russia.
• Zelenskyy has also stated that the war has made it impossible to hold a presidential election in Ukraine, originally slated for March under the constitution.