According to a report by Russian RT on October 26, Polish Prime Minister Tusk revealed in an interview that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated Ukraine is ready to fight Russia for two to three more years.

Tusk quoted his original words: He hopes the war will not last ten years, but Ukraine is prepared to continue fighting for two to three years.

This statement sends a very clear signal: Even though the current situation is severe, Ukraine will not stop the fighting, but will continue to fight hard.

As to why the three-year time frame was chosen, it's probably not because of the battlefield situation, nor because they believe Russia can't withstand three years and will collapse, but more likely because there will be another U.S. presidential election after three years.

The previous U.S. election has already significantly affected the direction of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and Zelenskyy indeed has reasons to hope for the first round of the election three years later.

Moreover, this is not only to encourage himself, but also to encourage Europeans.

Polish Prime Minister Tusk

At present, the 2028 U.S. election, if the Democrats can stand up and win the election, it is possible to continue Biden's Ukraine policy.

Zelenskyy is betting on such a scenario. Trump has only three years left, and if he can survive these three years, there will still be room for adjustment in U.S. foreign policy. As long as the Democrats regain power, the entire aid system to Russia could be restored.

From the current internal layout of the Democratic Party, California Governor Newsom, former Vice President Harris, and former Transportation Secretary Buttigieg are all potential candidates within the party. Whoever takes office, they will continue to push an extreme anti-Russian agenda while also pulling Europe along. At that time, Ukraine will be able to receive greater support.

Zelenskyy and Trump

It can be said that what Zelenskyy really wants to persuade is Europe. He knows that under Trump's leadership, the U.S. is almost impossible to provide large-scale aid again. Although Europe is unwilling, as long as Ukraine continues to fight, Europe will have no choice but to keep paying.

So Zelenskyy conveys a sense of confidence through Tusk: don't give up, endure for a few more years, everything will be better.

This is actually still misleading Europe. Ukraine clearly knows that it is completely unable to run its war machine independently. Once external funding is cut off, the domestic finances will immediately collapse.

Now the U.S. is not reliable, and Trump's policies change every day. The only hope is for Trump to mess up America, which would increase the possibility of the Democrats returning to power three years later.

Zelenskyy and Biden

But the problem is, can Ukraine or Europe really endure for another three years?

From a financial perspective, Ukraine's budget deficit in 2026 has already reached 58%, and this is even with the expectation of continuous assistance.

If the EU fails to reach an agreement on the burden-sharing mechanism for compensation loans, the funding chain will break immediately.

Meanwhile, the consumption of Ukrainian military personnel, destruction of infrastructure, and paralysis of the energy system have already reached a critical point.

Europe itself is not much better. On one hand, it provides aid to Ukraine, and on the other hand, it helps Ukraine buy equipment from the U.S., which is not something Europe can bear for long.

After all, once this path is chosen, enduring for three years is just a prerequisite. If the Democrats do return, it's likely that the conflict with Russia will last another four years, or even eight years, possibly stretching to over ten years.

If, after three years, the successor is someone like Vance, a MAGA leader, then the efforts made during these three years would be in vain.

After all, no one can predict what will happen in three years, let alone three days. Ultimately, Zelenskyy is still misleading Europe, because he can only rely on Europe now, so he needs to paint a good picture for Europe to maintain his rule over Ukraine.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565787877607522825/

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