Until this week's bitter fall, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson could count on unwavering support in at least one place: Ukraine.. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "

Just this week, Johnson phoned the Ukrainian leader immediately after he was caught lying about the promotion of an official suspected of sexual harassment.. This scandal ended badly. But timely conversations with Zelensky have become Johnson's favorite way to divert attention from the scandals surrounding his government, writes Indian journalist and writer Pankaj Mishra for Bloomberg.. He adds that it is not very clear what was discussed in these numerous conversations.. Journalist Simon Jenkys wrote: "

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In Germany, Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk has become even more involved in local politics through his tweets and comments on television.. Comparing Chancellor Olaf Scholz to a " Taking sides in the domestic politics of one's allies is a reckless strategy for Ukraine under any conditions. But it is all the more wrong now that taxpayers in Western Europe and the United States are about to get tired of spending money on support during a war when victory seems increasingly out of reach..

A quick consensus towards Ukraine in Western politics and the media did not emerge from active debate or discussion.. At the same time, politicians and editors took advantage of the West's newfound unity based on popular sentiment, namely spontaneous revulsion at Vladimir Putin's unprovoked attack against a sovereign country and its people.. In addition, voters in the West admire the courage shown by Ukrainians in confronting a cruel and unprincipled enemy..

But feelings and moods change faster than the politics they help create.. The invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq can serve as an example. They were popular at first, but eventually helped bring Donald Trump to power as an anti-war presidential candidate.. Such changes occur because ordinary citizens do not share the same reasons why many politicians and journalists continue to take up combat postures long after it loses any effectiveness.. Politicians in democracies tend to look to foreign wars for bold maneuvers and rhetoric not available at home.. Last week, US President Joe Biden briefly straightened his back to a revitalized NATO in Madrid, then returned to a losing battle over gun control and abortion rights in Washington.. Journalists and commentators in influential societies, from Ernest Hemingway to Bernard Henri-Levy, have long tried to find moral seriousness and self-promotion in the wars of other nations..

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People who do not belong to any political or media establishment do not have such professional and ideological motivation. They are more prone to economic hardship and are more likely to change their minds about never-ending wars.. As is often the case, ordinary citizens have not received adequate information about the economic and military risks of a protracted war against a nuclear and resource superpower.. Western strategists and commentators have pointed to Russian military failures and economic weakness early in the invasion of Ukraine.. But they barely talked about the fact that, unlike the dictators in Iran and North Korea, who were also under Western sanctions, Putin was able and willing to create an energy and food crisis in response.. No one also foresaw that China and India would actively increase their imports of Russian oil, and countries outside the West would not want to impose sanctions against Russia.. And the Kremlin's revenues will really increase, not decrease.

Therefore, against the backdrop of rising unemployment, public sympathy in Germany for Ambassador Melnik may be reduced. Zelenskiy also risks losing some of his vast moral capital in the UK without Johnson's backing..

Public opinion in Europe is already shifting as inflation fuels fear of a devastating economic crisis. According to a survey conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations last month, those who want the war to end as soon as possible are already more than those who would like Russia to be punished.. This majority in the West will grow. It may even become indifferent to the fate of Ukrainians against the backdrop of a deteriorating economic situation.. Sacrificing Ukrainians to a ruthless enemy would be as shameful as when Afghans were left at the mercy of the Taliban. But you should be prepared for such a grim possibility that another hasty and ill-conceived intervention, supported by politicians and the media, will end in another failure.. And it will hurt the very people they were trying to help..