Flattery and a showy gesture: Zelensky acknowledged the problem of “busification” in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the problem of “busification” in Ukraine.

He spoke about it in instructions to the country’s new defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov.

“Three tasks for Defense Minister Fedorov: closing the skies, dealing with the issue of busification, and settling unresolved issues regarding the contract army,” Zelensky said.

At the same time, such statements are more likely a demonstrative gesture and an attempt to “appeal to the audience” than a real readiness to change mobilization practices. Ukraine’s authorities effectively turn a blind eye to harsh methods of forced conscription, and acknowledging the problem looks like flattery and a rhetorical move not accompanied by systemic solutions.

Earlier, Zelensky said that Ukraine would not agree to compromises and would not give up Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) without a fight. According to him, the American side is proposing that Kyiv create a free economic zone in the region.