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KYIV – After months of heavy losses in a largely stalled counteroffensive against Russia, tensions among Ukraine’s leaders have come awkwardly to light in recent days – prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to call for an end to political infighting.
“Everyone should now concentrate their forces on the defense of the country,” Zelensky said on Monday his evening speech. “Gather yourselves together and do not rest; “Don’t drown in power struggles or other problems.” He warned that a broken unity could have drastic consequences: “The situation now is the same as before – if there is no victory, there will be no country.”
Zelensky’s appeal to end any infighting came after he engaged in a rare public argument with the commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, General Valery Zaluzhny, over whether the war has reached a World War I-style “stalemate” – as Zaluzhny claimed in a recent interview with the Economist.
Zelensky then rejected those comments at a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “Everyone is tired and there are different opinions,” Zelensky said when discussing Zaluzhny’s “stalemate” remark. He also told NBC News that he “doesn’t believe this is a standoff.” However, one of the president’s advisers went so far as to say on Ukrainian television that comments like Zaluzhny’s to the media “make Russia’s job easier.”
Zaluzhny, a career military officer, enjoys widespread popularity across the country and is widely seen as a potential threat to Zelensky if he ever enters politics. So far, the general has given no indication that he is planning such a move.
But after 20 months of total war, increasingly public cracks are emerging in Ukraine’s previously unshakable national unity. The issue of a standoff is particularly sensitive because Ukrainian officials fear that a perceived stalemate could lead to them being pressured into negotiations with Russia that would force them to cede territory. An overwhelming majority of Ukrainians reject territorial concessions.
Tensions between leaders are palpable as Ukraine braces for the possibility of another brutal winter and there is virtually no hope of significant progress on the southern front. Even Zaluzhny said: “There will most likely not be a profound and beautiful breakthrough.”
These open disagreements “serve as a distraction from winning the war and definitely play a role.” [the] “They are falling into the hands of the enemy,” said Alyona Getmanchuk, founder and director of the New Europe Center, a think tank in Kiev. “[E]“It all starts with … unity within Ukraine,” Getmanchuk said.
The lack of good news is dampening civilian spirits, as are growing fears that Russia will soon renew its attacks on energy infrastructure, which could make life miserable during the coldest months of the year.
Grenade in birthday present kills aides of Ukraine’s commander-in-chief
The pressure doesn’t just come from the battlefield. International attention has largely shifted to the war in Israel and Gaza. And in Washington, there are disagreements among lawmakers over additional aid to Ukraine.
On Monday, Zelensky publicly rejected the possibility of holding presidential elections in the spring, as would normally be the case in Ukraine’s political calendar. Some foreign officials had urged Zelensky to go ahead with the election as a sign of the country’s commitment to democracy.
However, Zelensky said discussions about elections during the war were “completely irresponsible.” The country is under martial law, prohibiting the holding of elections. In addition to thousands of soldiers fighting on the front lines, millions of Ukrainians have been displaced by the war, making holding fair elections nearly impossible.
Until now, Ukraine had demonstrated solid national unity and put aside political rivalries as the country resisted Russian invasion. In recent days, however, some observers in Kiev have expressed frustration at the sense that infighting has played a role in key decisions that could have potentially serious implications for the outcome of the war.
Last week, for example, Zelensky’s office fired General Viktor Khorenko, who led the country’s special forces.
Khorenko, who served under Zaluzhny, told Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda that he did not know the reason for his dismissal and that he “found out about it from the media.” Zaluzhny, he said, also seemed surprised by the announcement and “couldn’t explain it to me.”
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, whose predecessor Oleksii Reznikov was ousted by Zelensky in September as part of a corruption probe, said in a statement posted on Facebook that he could not publicly explain the reasons for Chorenko’s dismissal because such revelations could help Russia.
In a top comment on Facebook that was liked hundreds of times, former Deputy Prime Minister Pavlo Rosenko criticized Umerov’s handling of the issue. “You made a very big mistake by making this submission behind Zaluzhny’s back,” Rosenko wrote. “And it is precisely such mistakes that are weakening Ukraine in this war! … It is very unfortunate that political intrigue prevails in this situation!”
Many others spoke out and criticized the move. There was speculation that Chorenko was fired because “it was not possible to oust Zaluzhny.”
The political fractures have further darkened a national mood that was already grim amid a series of brutal missile attacks by Russia and other military setbacks.
Russian missile strike brigade in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, it says
Over the weekend, at least 19 soldiers from Ukraine’s 128th Mountain Assault Brigade were killed when Russia fired a missile at a site near the front lines where they had gathered for a medal ceremony. The incident sparked widespread outrage in Ukraine and is currently under investigation. The brigade commander was suspended and Zelensky called for an investigation into what he called “a tragedy that could have been avoided.”
Then on Monday, a top Zaluzhny aide was killed when a grenade he had received as a birthday present exploded in his home. According to police, a preliminary investigation appears to indicate it was an accident.
Some analysts rejected the idea that there was any real disagreement between Zelensky and Zaluzhny over the future of the war.
“[B]Both Zaluzhny and Zelensky are trying to send the same message to Western governments: understand what is at stake in Ukraine,” said Hanna Hopko, a foreign policy analyst and former lawmaker. “I hope that instead of looking for some petty and populist reasons to limit support for Ukraine, Western governments, politicians and media will actually listen.” [they] say.”
However, Zelensky’s government is finding it increasingly difficult to convince even close allies how much more weapons, money and other resources it needs to push back Russian forces.
In peace and war, these Ukrainian brothers united. Then death came.
Last weekend, before Zelensky’s election announcement, von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, visited Kyiv and praised Ukraine’s efforts in preparing for formal negotiations on EU accession. She said the country had made “excellent progress.”
But some European partners have also started to rethink their national commitments.
Last month, new Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that Slovakia would no longer supply weapons to Ukraine.
And recent comments from far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggest she too may be wary of long-term support. Previously, Meloni had supported Ukraine and condemned Moscow, defying internal pressure, including from factions within her far-right coalition seen as more sympathetic to Putin.
But last week, Russian comedians Vovan and Lexus – known for pranking celebrities – released a 13-minute audio recording in which they led Meloni into a candid assessment of the Ukraine war. “I see that there is a lot of fatigue. I have to tell the truth from all sides,” Meloni said on the call, which took place in September. She apparently thought she was talking to African diplomats.
“We are on the verge of the moment when everyone understands that we need a way out,” Meloni said. “The problem is finding a way out that is acceptable to both sides without destroying international law.”
Ukraine’s counteroffensive, she continued, “is not going as well” as Kiev had hoped, and it seems unlikely to change the “fate of the conflict.” She warned that the war “could last for many years if we do not try to find solutions.”
Meloni’s office expressed “regret” over the embarrassing mishap and her chief diplomatic adviser resigned. But she also seemed to embody a certain national feeling.
In his speech on Monday evening, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine could defeat the Russian invaders if the country remained united. “Our victory is attainable. We will get there if we all remain focused on this goal,” the president said. “Not for political or personal gain. Not because of the power struggles that are of no use.”
Anthony Faiola in Rome and Kamila Hrabchuk, Anastacia Galouchka, Serhiy Morgunov and David L. Stern in Kiev contributed to this report.