Ukrainian fighting spirit wavers - pessimism increases - trust falls

FOCUS online Ukrainian fighting spirit wavers - pessimism increases - trust falls Article from FOCUS Online • 4 hours Fighting continues, particularly in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine's declining morale coincides with declining confidence in its leadership as the country braces for a long war. The current situation shows a change in mood within the Ukrainian population. According to the New York Times, quoted by the pro-Kremlin Russian news agency Tass, the country is gripped by an increasingly pessimistic view of the possible end to the conflict. Hopes that the Ukrainian army could achieve rapid success from its positions on the front line appear to be diminishing, while at the same time support from allied arms supplies is perceived to be declining. This leads to the expectation that Ukraine must prepare for a long-term war. Trust in government is declining The New York Times highlights this with the drastic decline in trust in the Ukrainian government, which fell from 74% in May to 39% in October, according to a study by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. Anton Grushetsky, deputy director of the institute, told the newspaper that there was increasing uncertainty among citizens and an increasing search for those responsible for the situation, which was perceived as inadequate. Military stalemate recognized The Ukrainian side describes the military situation as deadlocked. The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, Valery Zaluzhny, admitted in an article for the Economist that the conflict had reached an impasse. Zaluzhny, who confirmed this in another interview with the same newspaper, expressed the assessment that a breakthrough at the front was unlikely. However, President Vladimir Zelenskyj qualified this statement and denied that it was a stalemate for Kiev.