Zelenskyy says Ukraine prepared for prolonged period of fighting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview aired on August 27 that he believes Ukrainian citizens need to prepare themselves to coexist alongside the conflict with Russia, citing Israel as an example.

"Ukraine needs to understand that at one point or another, it may be left alone," Zelenskyy said in an interview with journalist Natalia Mosiychuk, which was published on her YouTube channel. "At some point, an ally might disengage from us due to internal matters or even due to elections," he explained, according to Haaretz.

"However, we need to learn to live with it, simply learn. Israel is in a war, depending on which war we are talking about. We are prepared for a very prolonged period of fighting without losing people. That's how it can be. To minimize the number of casualties, like in Israel, for example.

"We can live like that," Zelenskyy said in the interview with Mosiychuk, the host of the "Ukraine 1+1" program. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian president noted that if the fighting were to shift to Russian territory, it would be a "significant risk" for his country, as it could end up "left alone."

In the interview, Zelenskyy also mentioned that he believes Ukraine will receive security guarantees similar to those provided by the United States to Israel.

"With the United States, we will probably receive the Israeli model exactly, which includes weapons, technology, training, funding, and so on." Zelenskyy's remarks were widely quoted in the Ukrainian media and also by the Interfax Ukraine news agency.

Earlier this month, US President Joe Biden stated in an interview with CNN that the timing of Ukraine's accession to NATO is crucial. "I don't think there's a consensus within NATO right now in terms of whether Ukraine should join or not in the immediate moment while they're under attack. If they're under full-blown attack, the answer is probably not," Biden said.

The American president also pledged to Ukrainian President Zelensky the same security guarantees that the United States provides to Israel — "not to join NATO but full commitment to their security."

Earlier this month, it was reported in the Ukrainian media that Ukraine is considering canceling the reciprocal visa waiver agreement with Israel. A Ukrainian diplomatic source later confirmed this to Haaretz. If the agreement is canceled, it is expected to impact the annual pilgrimage of thousands of Hasidic Jews to the grave site of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman on Rosh Hashanah.

Reportedly, Ukraine aims to oust Israel from the "Ramstein Forum," a coalition of nations backing Ukraine with monthly meetings. According to Kyiv Post, Ukraine's National Security Council claims Israel hasn't genuinely assisted and exploits forum information for its interests. An unnamed source suggests Israel's exclusion results from perceived unfriendly actions and its pro-Russian stance on the global stage.