How Zelensky is grappling with Western war fatigue

 Ukraine war: How Zelensky is grappling with Western war fatigue

Their relationships might be close, the handshakes might have been firm, but President Volodymyr Zelensky had to roll his sleeves up during his trip to the US and Canada.

The latter was the easier end. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes" against Russia's invasion, and he has cross-party support in that endeavour.

America's pockets are deeper, but its politics are far more complicated.

President Zelensky secured another $325m (£265m) military package from the White House, but it wasn't the $24bn biggie he'd been hoping for.

That proposal is bogged down in Congress in a disagreement over budgets.

The difficulties do not stop there either.

Besides his counterpart Joe Biden, Ukraine's leader also had meetings with Republican politicians who are struggling to contain the growing scepticism in their party.

"We are protecting the liberal world, that should resonate with Republicans," a government adviser in Kyiv tells me.

"It was more difficult when the war started, because it was chaos," he says.

"Now we can be more specific with our asks, as we know what our allies have and where they store it. Our president could be defence minister in a number of countries!"

Alas for Kyiv, he is not, and the political challenges are mounting.

"Why should Ukraine keep getting a blank cheque? What does a victory look like?"

These are both questions the Ukrainian leader has been trying to answer on the world stage.

And this is why he now seems to do more negotiating than campaigning - just to keep Western help coming in.

All in a week when Kyiv fell out with one of its most loyal allies Poland, in a row over Ukrainian grain.

A Polish ban on Ukrainian imports led to President Zelensky indirectly accusing Warsaw of "helping Russia".

FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66901719