Pessimism is growing in Kiev as Ukrainian officials await the outcome of the US presidential election, while grappling with low morale and a shortage of weapons, The New York Times (NYT) reported on Friday.

According to the newspaper, US military and intelligence officials believe the war in Ukraine is “no longer a stalemate” due to Russia’s recent gains on the battlefield.

The report describes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as appearing “worn and stressed,” concerned not only about setbacks on the battlefield but also about the upcoming US elections, during a meeting with American officials in Kiev last week.

Ukrainian troops, the report adds, are contending with low morale, limited reinforcements, and an inability to match Russian firepower.

An unnamed Ukrainian major stationed near Russia’s Kursk Region told the NYT that Ukrainian forces are “constantly losing previously occupied positions,” with Russian forces enjoying an advantage in manpower and artillery.

Despite these challenges, US officials believe that Ukrainians might capitalize on “Russia’s weaknesses” if American support “remains strong until next summer,” the report pointed out.

Zelensky concerned about war trajectory

Russian forces have steadily advanced in recent months, capturing the heavily fortified town of Ugledar in the Donbass region early last month. Moscow has also intensified its offensive to push Ukrainian units back from the Kursk Region, which was targeted in an incursion in August.

Zelensky has expressed increasing concern over the war's trajectory, acknowledging earlier this year that Kiev has effectively become “a hostage” to the volatile US election cycle. In July, he called on Ukraine's foreign allies to intensify their support to help bring the conflict to a close “as soon as possible.”

The BBC reported this week that both soldiers and civilians in Ukraine are closely watching the US presidential campaign, where Republican candidate Donald Trump, his running mate J.D. Vance, and several prominent Republicans have suggested adding conditions to or even halting aid to Ukraine.

“We should never give money anymore without the hope of a payback, or without ‘strings’ attached. The United States of America should be ‘stupid’ no longer,” Trump posted on Truth Social in February.

Trump has often described Zelensky as “the greatest salesman on Earth,” asserting that, if reelected, he would quickly resolve the Ukraine conflict through diplomacy.

Read more: Ex-CIA analyst: US deeply immersed in Ukraine war from outset