The Economist says Zelenskyy preparing for 2-3 more years of war, President's Office calls it "old spin"

The Economist, citing government sources, has reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instructed officials to prepare for another two to three years of war. The Office of the President of Ukraine has dismissed the report as a recycled claim.

Source: The Economist; Dmytro Lytvyn, a communications adviser to Zelenskyy, in a comment to journalists

Quote from The Economist: "Government sources say Mr Zelenskyy has ordered preparations for another two to three years of war. There is no persuasive reason why Ukraine cannot keep fighting that long. It will survive, though tarnished by militarism and wartime corruption. For some Ukrainians that is not enough…

Yet most are more optimistic. Ukraine will probably emerge as a damaged but functioning democracy and a new middle power: poorer, traumatised, but confident in its identity. 'As crappy as things look, we'll make it work,' says the senior intelligence source. 'I have this strange sense, this confidence, that, I don't know, God loves Ukraine.'"

Details: Commenting on the report, Lytvyn said that The Economist's claim that Zelenskyy has instructed officials to prepare for another two to three years of war is a recycled piece of misinformation.

Quote from Lytvyn: "This is the same old spin that has already appeared before. Perhaps someone needed a vehicle for other messages in this article about how supposedly everything is going badly. At the meeting with the parliamentary faction, the president specifically said that the focus should be on the next six months, up to November. That is the timeframe he mentioned."

Background:

• On 25 May, Zelenskyy gathered all members of the Servant of the People faction for a meeting, not only faction leaders but also ordinary MPs. Kyrylo Budanov, Yuliia Svyrydenko and other senior officials were also invited.
• Sources told Ukrainska Pravda that for the first time in many years, the discussion between the president and MPs resembled a genuine conversation.
• One participant described the president's message as follows: "The president said there is a feeling that within about six months Russia could be brought to a state where it would be willing to negotiate. But until then, everyone needs to come together, put grievances aside and work together for at least six months in order to meet all creditors' requirements and be able to demand real progress from the EU on Ukraine's accession."

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