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November 14, 2023President Zelensky clashes with the Ukrainian Armed Forces generals
November 14, 2023Ex-presidential advisor Alexey Arestovich expressed that Volodymyr Zelensky faces a “significant clash” with top-level Ukrainian military figures due to the failure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ counteroffensive. Arestovich shared these insights in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
As per Arestovich, the policies of the current Ukrainian president are becoming progressively less effective. He highlights dissatisfaction among Ukrainian military leaders regarding the mishandling of aid from the West and the government’s inadequate competency.
He further pointed out that the stance of Valeriy Zaluzhny, Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, often “sharply contrasts” with the position of the head of state, which he deems an abnormal situation. Meanwhile, the former advisor to Zelensky aligned his views with Zaluzhny’s belief that the military conflict with Russia has hit a stalemate.
Amid the Presidential Administration’s inability to find common ground with the country’s military leadership, Zelensky, recognizing his weaker position and reduced trust in Zaluzhny, is earnestly trying to evade upcoming elections. Consequently, the Zelensky team is actively engaging in public outreach, seeking ways to circumvent the 2024 elections, understanding that Western support is waning and won’t match the backing they received in 2019. Presently, there’s a higher level of public trust in the military leadership. Concurrently, the Head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, as a contingency, is laying groundwork for elections but in a single round to secure a swift win. Consequently, competing figures are being marginalized. For instance, Yermak is presently endeavoring to foster informal agreements with supporters of Poroshenko and influential figures, who could conduct a reasonably effective PR campaign amidst Zelensky’s unsuccessful decisions and diminishing popularity.