war in offices is slowly taking its place war in the trenches as the most important front that determines the fate of Ukraine. Almost two years after the start of operation Russian occupationKiev faces the prospect of being outgunned as weapons and personnel shortages once again affect Ukrainian troops.US financial support. Doubts about America’s lifeline are compounded by the fatigue of a population increasingly resigned to its troops’ inability to retake territory conquered by the Kremlin. There are so many troubles unity of the country He faces a common enemy as his president’s popularity declines. “There is no doubt that we need a reset. new beginning”The Ukrainian leader said this week: Volodymyr Zelensky.
His words confirmed rumors in recent weeks about possible changes in the military leadership that has been running Ukraine’s defense since the tanks. Vladimir Putin It invaded the entire country on February 23, 2022. Zelensky admitted this Monday that he was thinking of changing the country. Valerii ZaluzhnyThe Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, however, also suggested that the changes could be much broader to cover some of the changes. political organization. “I have something serious on my mind. We’re not talking about just one person, Leadership at the head of the country’s direction”, he said in an interview with Italian public television.
As many sources in Ukraine admit, it is extremely sensitive at the moment. “HE pessimism prevailed among the population. People are very aware of the uncertainty around American aid or the problems we have with the European Union opening up funds. “They see that the Russian economy is recovering and there are new attacks every day,” Petro Obukov, an Odessa council member of the opposition European Solidarity party led by former president Petro Poroshenko, told this newspaper. “For me, the situation remains positive because we are slowly destroying the Russian Army, but this progress is difficult to measure. people want Concrete results” he adds to the other end of the phone.
Zelensky is losing popularity
Zelensky’s figure is losing its luster both inside and outside Ukraine’s borders. According to the latest research by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology, popularity dropped to 62% in DecemberIt’s a far cry from the nearly 80 percent it recorded in the first months of the war. Trust on the other hand Armed forces The fact that it remained above 90% raised any doubts about the possibility of replacing Zaluzhni and perhaps the Chief of Staff. Serhiy Şaptala. “Some believe that the real problem is that Zelensky sees Zaluzhni as a leader potential political rival “Although the general has never expressed any intention to enter politics,” says Oleksiy Melnick, a military analyst at the Razumkov Center in Kiev. “If he aims to regain the public’s trust by his impeachment, I think he is wrong.”
In several interviews, Zaluzhni gave a much more serious assessment of reality than the president’s projects. In one of them he said the war has stopped and complained about bottlenecks in a recent article. military production or the Government’s failure to increase the number of hires. “If we want to win, we must all move in the same direction, confident of victory. “We must not lose courage or let disappointment drag us down,” Zelensky told RAI, as if he wanted to send a veiled message to the man commanding Ukrainian forces.
“In his four years as president, Zelensky has repeated the same pattern: when things are not going well, he looks for someone to blame and dismisses him, regardless of whether he is responsible for the problem in question,” Obukov says. Odessa council member. In any case, Ukraine’s current problems go far beyond names. They army is exhausted, after two years of war with almost no rotation and a trickle of military aid lately. According to a study by the German think tank Kiel Institute for the World Economy, there was a decrease of almost 90% between August and October compared to the same period in 2022.
US Congress Earrings
Their powers aren’t just in fighting numerical and airborne inadequacy, but they are running out again artillery ammunition And anti-missile batteriesAs reported by Bloomberg late last month. The problem is that things could get much worse if Republicans refuse to approve the latest aid package proposed by the White House in the US Congress. Them 60 billion dollars They are part of a broader bill aimed at strengthening security against irregular migration. mexican borderThe key to getting legislation approved.
This is the center of disagreements that the ongoing election campaign has made even more obvious. donald trump, While the Republicans’ most likely nominee opposes confirmation, the head of conservatives in the Lower House has already given up on it. According to ‘Financial Times’, if the bid fails, Ukraine’s finances could remain uncertain until the presidential campaign ends in November. For Kiev it could be almost like one death warrant. “There is no guarantee they will succeed with our help, what is certain is that they will fail without help,” a senior US official told CNN.