Strategy of the weakened Zelensky
Israeli intrigues. Yermak tried to whack Myndich? Zelensky seeking post-war protection. Kolomoisky's tales.
It’s been hard to make sense of Ukrainian politics since the dramatic events of November. The waters are rather murky. Why, with almost a month past, has Zelensky still not found a replacement for head of his administration Andriy Yermak? Is Zelensky really sincere about holding elections? Is he succeeding in his drawn-out struggle to muzzle the liberal nationalists, his last remaining opposition? And what does he really want, ultimately?
Yesterday we looked at how diplomatic events have affected the domestic balance of power in Ukraine. Trump’s attempt to push Ukraine to sign a peace deal seems to have pushed Zelensky’s liberal nationalist opponents to pipe down. However, now that European funding have been acquired over the weekend, conflict between Zelensky and his opponents is set to flare up once again.
Today we’ll begin by taking a look at three articles from the Ukrainian press over the last week on the topic of Zelensky’s new political strategy. The country’s largest liberal publication hopes that Zelensky will abandon the Yermakian practice of extreme centralization of power in favor of consulting a wider range of political heavyweights. This article also includes some interesting comments on Zelensky’s desire for personal protection after any elections or ceasefire.
The other liberal article is much more negative towards Zelensky, and predicts a resumption of political resistance against him by Ukraine’s lib-nationalist opposition. Next, an article from a NATO and Zelensky-critical Ukrainian publication gives its own take on why Zelensky’s grip on power is more vulnerable than ever,.
Finally, we’ll examine the ongoing flood of allusive political bombshells let loose by imprisoned oligarch Igor Kolomoisky. He has come out with a remarkable tale about a failed assassination of a Zelensky insider in Israel — none other than Timur Mindich, the man whose corrupt schemes nearly brought down the Zelensky government ever since the November 10 revelations. It may be that Zelensky’s beloved Andriy Yermak is trying to whack Mindich before the anti-corruption organs can talk to him.
Before we get to our article, some new photos of Mr Mindich in his comfortable Israeli exile:
