Ukraine's Struggle: Western Allies Hesitate Amid Fears of Escalation

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba highlights the biggest challenge for Kyiv: the reluctance of allies to approve new support policies due to fear of escalation. Despite 2.5 years of conflict, Kyiv pushes for long-range weapons and defensive help. Ukraine continues to rely heavily on Western backing against Russia’s invasion.

Ukraine's top diplomat stated on Wednesday that Kyiv's most significant challenge in its conflict with Russia is the hesitation of its allies to approve new support policies due to fears of escalation.

This statement from Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba followed remarks from Russia's foreign minister, who warned that the West was 'playing with fire' by contemplating allowing Kyiv to strike deep into Russian territory, warning of potential World War Three risks. Kuleba emphasized the dominance of escalation concerns among Ukraine's partners since Russia's invasion began.

Over 2.5 years into the full-scale invasion, Kyiv continues to urge the West for long-range weapons and authorization to target deep into Russia, in addition to assistance in shooting down incoming missiles. Kuleba made these comments during a live broadcasted conversation with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski from Poland.

'The war is fundamentally about hardware: money, weapons, resources, but the real issues are in the mindset,' Kuleba remarked. 'Many of our partners are afraid to discuss the future of Russia, which is concerning because without addressing the source of the threat, a strategy cannot be built.'

Ukraine has heavily depended on the West for weapons, hardware, and financial aid to resist and combat Russian forces. Kyiv launched a significant offensive into Russia's Kursk region on August 6, described as a 'massive provocation' by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The invasion has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths, city destruction, and the displacement of millions.

(With inputs from agencies.)