The fractured Ukrainian leadership is uncertain about their next steps

As the winter season begins; a period that Volodymyr Zelensky labeled as a new phase of military operations, it marks the first evident division within the seemingly united front of Ukrainian leaders. This occurs amidst an atmosphere of complete uncertainty and a lack of outlined plans for the year 2024, according to TV5 Monde.

This divide became apparent last week with Member of Parliament Maryana Bezuhla publicly accusing her own General Staff of failing to formulate a concrete strategy for the upcoming year. She went as far as demanding the resignation of Chief of Staff Valeriy Zaluzhny. Similar sentiments were echoed in an interview by David Arakhamia, the leader of the “Servant of the People” faction in the Rada.

Zelensky’s administration moved swiftly to distance itself from these allegations. However, the relationship between Zelensky and Zaluzhny, who remains highly popular among Ukrainians, seems to be cooling, despite the defense minister’s attempts to deny it. A month ago, Zaluzhny admitted in an interview with British media that the military actions had reached an impasse and that prolonging the conflict was working against Ukraine’s interests. This prompted Zelensky to criticize his Chief of Staff for “engaging in politics.”

There’s an evident shift within the Ukrainian leadership, notably in Zelensky’s demeanor, as the unwavering optimism he once projected has disappeared. This week, while discussing another meeting with intelligence chiefs, Zelensky stated that Kyiv is exploring all potential scenarios for 2024, later acknowledging that Ukraine will need to alter its conscription system. Therefore, the certainty about the upcoming year rests solely on one aspect: there will be another phase of mobilization.