According to Kuleba, an American official stated before the invasion that legitimate authority could only be maintained over a portion of Ukraine's territory, and that was the optimistic scenario.
"It was about a small part of Ukraine," he clarified.
In the West, it was believed that the main issue would be the presence of legitimate authority, meaning those who were elected throughout Ukraine and appointed within the entirety of Ukraine, Kuleba said. He noted that this was not only the American stance but also a consolidated position shared by all partners.
"Another person called me while I was in Warsaw and said: 'Don't go [to Ukraine], you'll be killed there. Your voice will be needed for Ukraine to continue the fight; you will travel the world and rally countries in support of Ukraine,'" the former minister recounted.
He added that when he responded that he would return home, one of the Western politicians, "a great friend of Ukraine," suggested that President Volodymyr Zelensky record a video will "just in case, let it be there."