The recent publications about Zelenski's egomania in Time and the war 'stalemate' as claimed by General Zaluzny in The Economist have led to a conflict between the political and military sides of Ukraine:
There are sure signs that the divide between the political and military leadership in Ukraine is growing. President Zelenski, on request of his new defense minister, just removed the commander of Ukraine's special forces and installed a new one:
Major General Viktor Khorenko does not know the reasons for his dismissal from the post of Commander of the Special Operations Forces. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, did not submit a request for his dismissal.
It is very unusual to fire an officer without a request from his superior commander.
There are also shots fired against Zaluzny himself:
President's Office advises Commander-in-Chief of Ukrainian Armed Forces not to publicise situation at front – UA Pravda – Nov 4 2023
Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President, commenting on the article by Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, for The Economist, has said that the military should not bring to the public what is happening at the front.
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Zhovkva also stated that "one of the heads of the leaders' offices" called him after the mentioned article was published."And they simply ask me in a panic, ‘What should I report to my leader? Are we really at a stalemate?’. Are we trying to achieve this effect with this article?", the President’s Office representative said.
Zaluzny is seen as a potential candidate for president should the Ukraine decide to hold elections.
He recently 'liked' (in Russian) a Facebook post by the ex-adviser to the president Alexey Arestovich, who is now a public critic of the Zelenski regime. Arestovich has reportedly moved to Austria out of fear of being arrested or worse. He is also a well known potential presidential candidate.
Yesterday an aide to General Zaluzny was killed by what seems to have been a package bomb:
Major Hennadiy Chastyakov, who served as an assistant to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi, has died in an explosion while celebrating his birthday at home, Zaluzhnyi said in a Telegram post on Nov. 6.
“Today, under tragic circumstances, my assistant and close friend, Major Hennadiy Chastyakov, died surrounded by his family, celebrating his Birthday,” said Zaluzhnyi.
“An unknown explosive device went off in one of the [birthday] presents.”
Before Zaluzny stepped in the police had claimed that the present contained whiskey and hand grenades and that one exploded after the major played with it.
Zaluzny's version sounds more plausible. He will understand the assassination of his aide as the personal warning that it seemed to have been.
Another of yesterday's news item from Ukraine said that the parliament was preparing a law (in Russian) for a presidential election in March 2024.
Hours later, during his evening video address, Zelenski rejected any further talk about it:
President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of presidential elections in Ukraine next year, labeling the topic as “irresponsible” in his video address posted on Nov. 6.
“I believe that now is not the right time for elections. And if we need to put an end to a political dispute and continue to work in unity, there are structures in the state that are capable of putting an end to it and giving society all the necessary answers. So that there is no room left for conflicts and someone else's game against Ukraine.”
Questions around corruption, fair mobilization, and democratic governance have captured the national discourse in Ukraine in recent months, leading some to speculate about the electoral process.
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Earlier Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Zelensky is considering holding elections as scheduled in the spring of 2024. "We are not closing this page. The president of Ukraine is considering and weighing the different pros and cons," Kuleba said during an online appearance at the World Policy Conference.
Zelenski may not have the last word in this.
There has been pressure from Ukraine's supporters to hold elections despite the continuing war:
Despite Russia’s war in Ukraine and a nationwide state of martial law, some Western politicians are pushing the government in Kyiv to hold parliamentary and presidential elections — a prospect that has left many Ukrainian officials scratching their heads.
The proposal — initially floated by Tiny Kox, the Dutch head of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly — was also pressed by Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), during a visit to Kyiv last month with Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), which otherwise focused on solidifying U.S. assistance and bipartisan support for Ukraine.
Other Republicans have also taken up the cause, including conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, who falsely accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of canceling elections. Ukraine’s constitution prohibits elections under martial law.
The Ukrainian constitution prohibits parliament elections under martial law, but not presidential ones. Presidential elections are prohibited under martial law only by that law itself. A simple majority in parliament could change it.
Zelenski had planned for elections to appease his western supporters. But after his clash with Zaluzny and Arestovich, both plausible candidates, he seems to have gotten could feet and called them off.
The U.S. Congress could make aid to Ukraine conditional. Elections would have to be held in Ukraine for it to get any more money. The White House, getting tired of Zelenski, may also want to press for change.
I for one believe that we have not heard the last words on this.
There is more internal strife in Ukraine.
Irina Farion, a former parliament member for the fascist Svoboda party, has criticized the fascists of the Azov brigade for speaking in Russian instead of Ukrainian language (machine translation):
"What prevents you guys, if you are so "powerful", and you are then very smart, what prevents you from fulfilling the 29th article of the law on the Armed Forces? Do you guys know what discipline is in the army? If there is no discipline in the army, then there is no army – it is a rabble then. I can't call them Ukrainians if they don't speak Ukrainian. Then let them call themselves Russians. Why are they so stunned? Why did it come together in Ukrainian? They are such great patriots, show your patriotism – learn the language of Taras Shevchenko, " the ex-MP said.
Social media users were outraged by these words of Farion. In particular, TikTok publishes a video of how the military responds to the Lviv resident.
Azov's original roots are in the soccer hooligan scene of Karkiv, a Russian speaking city in north-east Ukraine. Many of its soldiers in its brigade come from the Russian speaking east.
Several Azov brigade members responded (vid) – in Russian of course – and with quite harsh language.