Ukraine is on the offensive. And it is certainly not on the defensive. It is responding to every Russian brick with a stone. Ukraine’s surprising success in penetrating deep into Russian territory in August has greatly boosted the morale of both its people and Ukraine’s allies.
But now the bad news.
At least seven people were killed and 53 injured in a missile attack on Lviv in Ukraine on Wednesday. The previous day, more than 50 people were killed in an attack on a military training center and hospital in Poltava. At the weekend, a sports ground in Kharkiv was targeted by a bomb. At least seven people, including a fourteen-year-old girl, lost their lives in this. Meanwhile, the position of Russian security forces has strengthened in eastern Ukraine, where tens of thousands of Ukrainians are preparing to flee. If the strategically important Pokrovsk slips out of Ukraine’s hands, it will be a big blow for it.
Amid these attacks, President Vladimir Zelensky, realizing the public’s anger, has made the biggest and most important administrative reshuffle since the war began. Zelensky’s five-year term ended on May 20, but instead of holding elections, he remains in office. The martial law imposed in Ukraine after the Russian invasion in February 2022 is still in place, under which elections cannot be held. Although Zelensky’s efforts and his leadership were praised in the early stages of the war, and the people of the country were united under his leadership, later his popularity and support for him decreased. Some Ukrainians believe that if the country’s leadership was in the hands of another leader, the war could have been fought better and the way could have been paved for some kind of peace agreement.
There is growing resentment against him even in his Council of Ministers. There have been mass resignations in the last few weeks, which smells of rebellion. This is why Zelensky is making a reshuffle, which was long awaited. Many very influential and important people are included in the list of those to be dismissed. Two Deputy Prime Ministers and the Law Minister are among them, but the most well-known person among those to be removed is Dmytro Kuleba, who has been the Foreign Minister for a long time. When he dismissed the very popular Army Chief Valery Zaluzhny in February, people were quite surprised, but the removal of Foreign Minister and Energy Grid Chief Vladimir Zelunyi and the complaint of political pressure by two foreign members of the board is really a matter of concern for him.
This also indicates that the leaders are under tremendous pressure and they want to rely only on trusted assistants and allies. The people of Ukraine want that at a time when Ukraine is fighting for its existence, the talent available in the country should be fully utilized. This reshuffle is not considered as dramatic as anticipated, but it has strengthened the hold of Zelensky’s close associates, especially his Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak.
Explaining the reason for the reshuffle, the president said the country needed “new energy.” Over time, Ukrainians, like Israelis, have grown tired of the war, and opinion polls show the government’s popularity has fallen sharply.
In the past, Zelensky has successfully faced many challenges by taking advantage of his charismatic personality and fame. His becoming president was also a miracle, as told in the new BBC documentary ‘The Zelensky Story’. But the way he has dealt with the Russian invasion has caused great damage to his image. Leaders are put to the test during national crises. But perhaps no other person has been as successful in gaining internal and external support of the country as Zelensky.
This month he will go to Washington to meet Joe Biden and then his charismatic personality and his influence on the country will have to undergo a tough test. Especially because the result of the US elections to be held in November is still uncertain. The coming days will be challenging for a charismatic leader like Zelensky as he will have to face declining popularity in the country on the political front and also live up to the expectations of his foreign friends and allies. (Copy: Amrish Hardenia)