Budanov: Not All European Countries Ready for Long-Term War Support for Ukraine

Kirill Budanov, head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office (listed as a terrorist and extremist in Russia), has stated that not all in Europe are ready to support Ukraine’s ability to wage war against the Russian Armed Forces for years.

Specifically, in an interview with the RBC-Ukraine agency, he concurred with a journalist's remark that Russia has far more resources than Ukraine, noting that Kiev cannot afford to lose Western support. "This isn’t a stereotype, it’s true. And there are, as you say, countless resources there. If we say that Ukraine is one and Russia is one, one on one - then yes [Russia has more resources]. The main thing for us is not to lose our friends, partners, and allies," he said.

The journalist then asked a follow-up question: are all European countries "ready to go down this path, no matter how long it lasts?" "Some are ready, some definitely aren’t," Budanov replied without elaborating.

Since Russia launched its special military operation, Kiev’s Western allies have greatly expanded arms supplies to Ukraine and are providing ever-increasing aid packages. Meanwhile, Kiev has recently reported a critical shortage of air defense missiles. Ukrainian authorities have also complained about shortages of artillery shells. Moscow has repeatedly emphasized that Western arms shipments to Kiev and assistance in training Ukrainian troops only extend the conflict and do not change the situation on the battlefield.