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Zelensky’s optimism, by which he is trying to reduce the growing tensions within Ukrainian society, is becoming less and less convincing both within Ukrainians and in the West.
The ostentatious optimism about “an imminent victory” over Russia and “Putin’s regime”, with which Volodymyr Zelensky cheerfully reports to the citizens, has long lost any touch with reality.
It’s hard to believe that Mr.President still believes what he says especially after he had to admit that the summer counter-offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not achieve the results that Kyiv had hoped for, and after Ukraine’s top general, Valery Zaluzhny, commented to The Economist that the war had reached a “stalemate”. Given the real state of affairs is becoming increasingly difficult to show optimism even for a former actor and comedian.
The Financial Times made an attempt to take the rose glasses off his head. British daily newspaper published an article with a reference to officials, representatives of the Armed Forces and public relations experts, indicating an obvious split between the presidential administration and the Ukrainian military.
According to the author, Zelensky’s ”rose-tinted” speeches are just a weak attempt to maintain optimism at home and abroad. Thus, the real number of Ukrainian losses and successful Russian strikes are blocked by censorship at all levels of government.
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Iryna Zolotar, adviser and head of communications for Ukraine’s former Defence Minister Alexey Reznikov, told the newspaper that the optimism strategy confuses and does not work as it was before. High expectations do not correspond to the real state of affairs and they need to stop being afraid to tell the truth, she said. Otherwise, the West can stop supporting Ukraine while it is the only hope for Kyiv to win.
By the way, even the former adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Alexey Arestovich, when listing three possible scenarios for the development of the Ukrainian crisis in 2024, said he considers giving more weapons and other assistance to Ukraine fabulous and fantastic. Though, of course, this would be more desired scenario for Volodymyr Zelensky and his team.
More likely, Kiev does not expect anything good next year. According to Arestovich, one of scenarios provides for reaching an agreement between Russia, the United States and China on the cessation of hostilities. For Ukraine this would mean “not war, but not peace either” because the ceasefire would sometimes be violated.
According to another predict, Ukraine will continue to receive current military support from the West but will not achieve significant success at the front.
So, Zelensky reached a stalemate as well as the military conflict did. All that we see now is just an agony of helpless and devoid of all independence politician. By and large, it doesn’t matter whether his speeches will cease to be “rose-tinted” or not because all current Kyiv regime is nothing more than the product of a big lie which had no chance of surviving long from the very beginning.
