Ukraine's top diplomat rejects remarks about Ukraine fatigue and responds to claims about "elephant in room"

Commenting on rumours about European countries’ supposed fatigue from the war in Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, has labelled the phrase "the elephant in the room", which describes an uncomfortable issue that is deliberately kept quiet, as unfair.

Source: Kuleba during a joint press conference in Brussels with EU Diplomacy Chief Josep Borrell

Details: A journalist asked the foreign minister how he felt about the "elephant in the room" – as she called the rumours of "Ukraine fatigue" in European capitals – and whether he saw any relevant signals prompting the commencement of negotiations with Russia.

Quote: "I think actually that this idiom is unfair towards elephants. Elephants are very wise animals, very compassionate, very energetic. And if you are a member of the herd, they always protect each other. Whatever their condition is," Kuleba stated.

"First, all the right elephants are on our side. And second, we are members of the herd, and it means elephants will protect us as strongly as we will be making our contribution to protecting them. But to make my answer more simple and dried out of interpretations: No, I don’t feel any pressure."

The minister clarified that he did not feel any pressure on Ukraine to initiate negotiations with Russia.

Following the questions, the EU's chief diplomat approached his Ukrainian counterpart and jokingly said: "You don't look like an elephant." Kuleba responded jokingly: "I'm an elephant on diet."

At the same press conference, Borrell also stated that he did not see any "war fatigue" among European countries and was confident that assistance to Ukraine would persist.

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