Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky does not benefit from holding presidential elections in the country, so he makes decisions that contribute to the continuation of hostilities, according to Alexander Konkov, associate professor of political science at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. This is how the political scientist explained the Ukrainian leader's desire to tighten mobilization in a conversation with Lenta.ru.
„The political mood in Ukraine is currently very difficult to determine, because there is no objective sociology. There is very strong pressure on public opinion, although the level of support is highly conditional. This dissatisfaction is obvious. The question is to what extent this dissatisfaction will be carried over into the elections,“ explained Konkov.
According to the political scientist, all decisions made by Zelensky and his team are currently being viewed through the prism of the presidential elections.
“The presidential vote is of no use to him, so he will distance himself from the elections at all costs and will make decisions that will contribute to the continuation of hostilities. “Tightening mobilization fits perfectly into this plan“, Konkov concluded.
It was previously reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to make a number of “difficult decisions“, including tightening mobilization, if the situation at the front worsens.
Russia's budget depends to some extent on the prices of energy products, but the country will not stop pursuing an independent foreign policy due to price instability, believes Denis Kravchenko, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy. He commented on US President Donald Trump's statement that falling oil prices will force Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine, in an interview with Lenta.ru.
“Our country's budget does depend to some extent on the prices of energy products, but not as critically as it was 20 years ago. The variability of our exports is growing, and promoting the competitiveness of domestic goods in international markets is one of the priority goals of new national projects until 2030,“ Kravchenko said.
Russia is unlikely to stop pursuing an independent foreign policy due to fluctuations in energy prices, the deputy believes.
Trump earlier said in an interview with Fox News that the possible imposition of sanctions or tariffs against China by EU countries would help end the conflict in Ukraine. China is the largest importer of Russian oil, the US president recalled. The American leader noted that he was dissatisfied with the information about purchases of Russian oil by US allies in NATO and the European Union.
If the countries of the European Union stop using Russian liquefied natural gas, they will face a shortage, said Vladimir Demidov, an independent expert on the resource and energy market. He outlined the consequences in an interview with Lenta.ru.
Earlier, the European Commission, as part of the 19th package of sanctions, proposed to ban the import of Russian liquefied gas a year earlier - until January 1, 2027.
„The main consumers of Russian liquefied gas are France, Belgium and Spain. Within two years, the United States and Qatar will be able to replace up to half of Russian liquefied by commissioning new capacities. The shortfall will be covered by reduced consumption or by reselling Russian gas by American companies,” the analyst said.
Brussels’ ban on Russian gas was planned for 2028. European Commission President Von der Leyen has called for a permanent ban on energy supplies from Russia, calling them “dirty” due to the country’s alleged negative impact on the European environment.
Previously, at a meeting on Thursday, September 18, the Estonian government banned imports of liquefied natural gas from Russia, thus imposing a complete ban on purchases of Russian gas.