Speaking at a private dinner in London recently, a senior serving British military officer argued that the west had no choice but to see Ukraine as just one phase in a decade-long battle with Russia. “If Ukraine wins, Russia will never accept that. If Russia wins, it will go further,” he said.
Yet in Whitehall they fear the “F word” – fatigue – and worry that the west with its TikTok-attention span and bias towards instant gratification does not have the resolve for the years-long sacrifice required to defeat Russia, or even stem the military tide in the villages of eastern Ukraine.
That anxiety is shared by Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, who in a speech to marketing professionals in Cannes this week pleaded with them to use their creative ingenuity to keep the world focused on his country’s struggle: “Don’t let the world switch to something else,” he said.
#Ukraine: Ukrainian Airborne forces hit a Russian supply convoy (Claimed to be carrying ammunition and fuel) with indirect fire, destroying several vehicles. pic.twitter.com/OY5XQ5cTg9
— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) June 24, 2022
