In a sign that things aren’t going well in Kiev, 45-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky sacked his childhood friend, SBU Security Chief Ivan Bakanov and Prosecutor General.Iryna Venedkhova for not doing enough to stop Russian infiltration into his inner circle. Zelensky’s purge shows that the walls are closing in on the 45-year-old neophyte president, who, along with unlimited cash-and-arms and urging of 79-year-old President Joe Biden decided to take on the Russian Federation. Biden and Zelensky have been called out recently by the only Ukrainian-born member of Congress, Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.). Spartz asked Biden and Zelensky to stop playing politics with the Ukraine War. Spartz has caught flack from Republicans, Democrats and Zelensky’s coterie in Kiev for asking questions. But today’s purge of Zelensky’s government indicates things are not going well in Kiev.
Zelensky’s office said that 60 officials from Bakanov’s SBU Security Agency and the prosecutor’s office have been actively working against the Kiev government. Zelensky’s office said 651 treason and collaboration cases have been opened up, Zelensky’s office said in a video message. However you cut it, Biden’s White House must be floored because it runs so counter to Zelensky’s narrative of how unified his government in fighting the Russian invasion. Zelensky’s admission indicates that he can’t trust the lion’s share of his staff, realizing that there’s unhappiness within his ranks. When you look at all the battlefield failures, it’s no wonder Zelensky confronts treason and collaboration within his own ranks. Ukrainian officials are beginning to question what Zelensky is doing. Zelensky and his PR machine have deceived the White House and Brussels of all his mistakes and failures.
When it comes to Bakanov, Zelensky’s childhood friend, it lets you know the extent of the paranoia sweeping Zelensky’s Kiev office. “Such and array of crimes against the foundations of the national security of the state . . . poses very serious questions to the relevant leaders,” Zelensky said, almost making no sense. What’s apparent is not the threat to Zelensky’s power but that things have gone badly on the battlefield and he’s taking it out on his personally appointed officials. Zelensky used Bakanov to run his media business, paving the way for Zelensky’s to run from sitcom star to president. Losing confidence in Bakanov shows how bad things have gotten in Kiev. Whether Zelensky hides it from public view or not, things can’t be good watching his country lose over 25% of sovereign territory, especially the strategic Black Sea coast and all its ports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that he would not let the West turn back the clock in Russia, preventing it from getting the technology needed to move forward with the Russian economy. Russian has weathered Biden’s crippling economic sanctions by participating in the BRICS economic bloc involving Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Iran also expressed interest recently in joining BRICS. Biden didn’t expect that so many world power, other than in the West, wished to remain neutral in the Ukraine War. Biden thought everyone would jump on the bandwagon, especially China and India. But with Biden’s foreign relations so bad with China, it was unrealistic to expect Chinese President Xi Jinping to publicly denounce Putin. After Biden boycotted the Beijing Winter Olympics, Putin seized the chance to develop closer ties the Peoples Republic of China [PRC].
Zelensky has a real problem with credibility, especially since Rep. Victoria Sparts (R-Ind.) questioned his strategy in Ukraine. Biden and Zelensky decided that they could degrade the Russian military by supplying Kiev with HIMARS long-range missile defense systems. Whether HIMARS makes a difference or not, the fact remains that under Zelensky’s leadership, Ukraine has lost over 25% of sovereign territory to the Kremlin, including the entire Black Sea coast and all its ports. All Zelensky’s talk about defeating the Russian Federation now raises doubts because he’s been so roundly defeated for the last five months. Reports from Kiev about Putin’s alleged mystery illness or a coup-in-the-making in Moscow all turned out false. So when it comes to Zelensky’s credibility, it’s been dropping like a rock. Today’s purge of key government positions indicates that Zelensky has panicked.
Today’s government purge by Zelensky suggests the walls are closing in on the young president, finding himself in quicksand in Ukraine. Russia has all the traction when it comes to seizing key territory needed by Zelensky to prosecute the war. Instead of working toward a ceasefire and peace talks, Zelensky and his 40-year-old Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reject all of Putin’s peace offerings, insisting they would not surrender one inch of sovereign territory to Moscow. Zelensky gambled and lost badly trying to take on the Russian Federation. All he had to do was accept that Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea were in Russian hands. Zelensky could have avoided allthe destruction, carnage and refugee crisis to Ukraine. But instead had the audacity to think he could take on the Russian Federation. Today’s purge shows that there are plenty of mixed feelings about Zelensky’s leadership.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
