Welcome to Hard Talk from the BBC World Service with me, Stephen Sacker. For my guest today,

2024 has undoubtedly been a tough year. Dmitro Kuleber began it as Ukraine's foreign minister,

a post he'd held since 2020 and a role which assumed deeper significance after Russia's

full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February

2022. Kulaba became chief diplomat and emissary for his country on the international stage.

In particular, he focused on building relationships with the Western allies who pledged

to back Ukraine's determined resistance. But last September, President Zelensky

reshuffled his government and Kulaba was out. It was a refresh, explained the president, at a time when

Ukraine's military and diplomatic situation was becoming ever more difficult. However, that trend hasn't been reversed.

Russian forces continue to make attritional gains across the front line in eastern Ukraine.

Keeves forces are outmanned, outgunned and struggling to find new recruits amid signs of

internal discontent. Donald Trump will soon be back in the White House,

and his intent is clear. He wants a quick end to the war, and that is highly unlikely to be

on terms welcome in Kiev. So after almost three years of defiance, is Ukraine running out of

viable options? Well, Demetro Kulebara joins me now. Welcome to Hard Talk.

It's good to the back, Stephen. It's great to have you on the program. I have to ask a very simple,

direct, opening question. Given the situation your country finds itself in today, how low are you feeling?

Well, if I begin feeling low, or if my compatriots begin feeling low, this will be the beginning of the end.

So we realize the hardships, we realize the difficulties, but we are looking on four solutions instead of focusing

on the obstacles. The solutions are hard to see, aren't they? If we start with the military

situation on the front lines in the east, we have seen month upon month of attritional Russian

gains and your own commanders say there is little they can do to reverse it because your

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