He may be lagging behind in one-on-one combat but Zelensky is defeating Putin daily in diplomatic war

In terms of physical, strategic, economic and military strength, Russian President Vladimir Putin may be stronger than Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, but there are some aspects that make Zelensky more powerful than Putin. Looking at the global situation, the support of most countries is with Ukraine while Russia is isolated. The countries which are with him, instead of supporting him openly on everything, are advising Russia to solve the issue through talks. If seen, Ukraine may be lagging behind in the ongoing war with Russia, but in diplomatic form, it is overshadowing Russia. Ukraine has adopted a diplomatically aggressive stance since the start of the war.

Zelensky’s travels

President Volodymyr Zelensky has spent the past several weeks traveling country after country and attending global conferences in an effort to keep Ukraine at the top of the international agenda. Due to them, Ukraine is also getting military, economic and political support for the war. If seen, Zelensky’s diplomacy has been relatively successful. The success of his policies has also offset some of the recent setbacks suffered by the Ukrainian military around the beleaguered city of Bakhmut. Let us tell you that between May 13 and 15, Zelensky traveled to Rome, Berlin, Paris and London to gather significant military support of European countries for Ukraine, which boosted the country’s offensive and defensive military capabilities. Zelensky visited Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 19 May and then left for Hiroshima for the G7 summit. In Saudi Arabia, he was given a platform to address all 22 member states of the Arab League and met with Saudi ‘Crown Prince’ Mohammed bin Salman. Through this, Zelensky got a chance to present his 10-point peace plan and condemn Russia’s aggression. Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, reciprocated by writing a letter to the Arab League, offering support for the ongoing wars in Libya, Sudan and Yemen.

Zelensky also met Modi

However, there was no specific commitment to Zelensky’s peace plan in Saudi Arabia, nor was there any clear stand against Russia. But in the Jeddah Declaration adopted at the summit, the Arab leaders explicitly called for “respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states”. From Jeddah, Zelensky left for Hiroshima. Arriving there, he addressed the gathering in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Through this address, he got an opportunity to convey his point to India and Brazil, two major countries of the ‘Global South’, who have not yet condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the G7 session, even said that he does not consider the current situation in Ukraine as an issue of politics or economy, but of humanity and human values. He said that dialogue and diplomacy are the only way to resolve this conflict. He also called for a united voice against unilateral attempts to change the status quo. The Prime Minister’s comments came in the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing border dispute with China in eastern Ladakh.

G7 gave full support

On the other hand, as expected, the leaders of the G7 countries discussed among themselves and issued a separate statement on Ukraine, in which Russia was strongly condemned as before and pledged to support Ukraine. The meetings also agreed to continue support for Ukraine. This was followed by the 12th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on 25 May. The meeting is expected to focus on expediting the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. “Our support for Ukraine will not waver,” its leaders said in a six-page statement on Ukraine after closed-door meetings. We pledge to stand together in protest against Russia’s illegal, unjustified and unprovoked war against Ukraine. Russia started this war and it can also end this war.

What is Ukraine’s strategy?

In such a situation, the question arises whether this is the diplomatic silence before the military storm? Clearly, Ukraine is gearing up for its long-anticipated offensive, at least rhetorically. Zelensky’s diplomatic offensive seems to have helped him garner military support and he now plans to take advantage of this support to launch a forceful military counterattack on Russia.

Is Ukraine preparing for a big counterattack?

There is no doubt that Ukraine is getting the support of the West, but the slight change in the attitude of the Global South is no less important. Attending the Arab League summit in person and speaking directly to Prime Minister Modi is a significant diplomatic victory for Zelensky. But this is not going to change the ground situation along the 1,000 km long border with Russia. Russia still occupies one-sixth of Ukraine. Ukraine retaliated against Russia in late summer last year, which was quite successful, but more than six months later, the situation has not changed much. In such a situation, Ukraine has several months to prepare for a vigorous attack in late summer. In the meantime, it can increase military supplies, train troops, and garner broad international support for its peace plan. In such a situation, the question arises whether Ukraine is preparing for a major counterattack on Russia again after the summer?