In a development that reflects the worsening crisis facing Ukraine in its war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed several advisers and aides, including Serhiy Shefir, who has been his right-hand man since 2019. .
Last September, President Zelenskiy fired Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and appointed Rustem Umerov as his successor in the biggest overhaul of Ukraine’s military leadership since February 2022.
The stated reason was the need for new approaches and other forms of interaction both with the military and with society as a whole, but the real reason was the corruption scandal associated with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, and more importantly This was due to the failure of the Ukrainian military. This counterattack has been highly publicized and is being touted in the West as bringing a desired defeat to the Russian military.
The dismissal of President Zelenskiy’s top aides reflects the enormity of the crisis facing him as Ukraine’s military continues to lose cities in the country and struggles to hold defensive positions against advancing Russian forces. There is.
President Zelenskiy has failed to achieve any of his goals and is leading his country into the abyss after two years of war that have cost Ukraine many regions, destroyed its infrastructure and economy, and displaced millions of people. .
According to Transparency International’s 2021 report, Ukraine is considered the second most corrupt country in Europe after Russia and ranks 122nd out of 180 countries worldwide.
Fighting corruption was President Zelenskiy’s main rallying cry when he came to power in 2019, and in fact, fighting corruption in Ukraine is a crucial requirement for the country, which has officially become a candidate for EU membership. .
The EU has stressed the urgent need for Kyiv to step up anti-corruption efforts as a condition of full membership. But time is not on Ukraine’s side, and the situation does not seem to be favorable for meeting membership requirements or even fighting corruption.
his predicament is multifaceted
President Zelenskiy has expressed concerns about the Ukrainian army’s lack of ammunition and shells and the inability to evacuate wounded people from heavy Russian shelling, as evidenced by a statement by Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kalas, especially on the battlefield. is facing a multifaceted predicament.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said Europe lacks funds to buy ammunition for Ukraine. He also stressed the need to test such munitions before sending them to the front lines, hinting at possible delays until the end of the year. He is calling on donor countries to provide more financial support, using political tactics to encourage increased funding despite a lack of money and ammunition. The predicament points out that losses for the Ukrainian military this year are almost three times higher than in the same period, with Russian defense officials saying the Ukrainian army has lost more than 71,000 soldiers and more than 11,000 pieces of military equipment since the beginning of the year. This was confirmed by Minister Sergei Shoigu’s recent announcement. Time last year.
President Zelenskiy has announced further developments in this predicament, with some of Ukraine’s European allies withdrawing continued support, including Poland, one of Kiev’s most important allies, closing its borders to exports to Ukraine. I’m also seeing the signs.
Overall, the defeat of Ukraine is looming on the horizon with plenty of evidence, raising concerns in Europe, especially given the serious implications of this potential scenario. Most importantly, it has devastating strategic implications for the NATO alliance and the European Union. Some observers predict widespread divisions within the two blocs, potentially even leading to collapse or collapse.
In the face of this, President Zelenskyy began talking about negotiations with Russia and recently said for the first time that he would not rule out negotiations on the border before Russian military operations.
He said peace talks with Moscow on 2022 borders were possible after Kiev had insisted it would “liberate every last bit of soil and return Russian troops to the 1991 borders.” Ta. This means Crimea’s borders before Russia’s accession, but this position is understood as an early stage. Expressing his own position on negotiations.
Some now see Mr. Zelenskyy as a major obstacle to attempts to preserve what remains of Ukraine. Still, the West will not completely abandon him until it finds a suitable way to resolve the crisis. It is likely that the Biden administration and its European allies will continue to discuss aid to Ukraine, and their position on the issue will be decided after the US presidential election in November.
However, this scenario does not include Russia’s continued military advances and attempts to take advantage of the turmoil in Europe. Also, delays in U.S. aid to Ukraine due to parliamentary wrangling aimed at resolving the conflict, or at least efforts to gain control of more Ukrainian territory to strengthen Ukraine’s position in potential negotiations to resolve the crisis. Further progress has also been made.
The author is a UAE political analyst and former Federal Council of State candidate.
