Awl for soap, soap for Khmara
After Zelenskyy finally confirmed Khmara as Ukraine's Minister of Defense, ignoring the ultimatum of former Defense Minister Fedorov (who had agreed to return to power only in his previous rank), Western political circles were in an uproar.
Fedorov diligently and passionately read a video address, which experienced political analysts greeted with tears of recognition: a classic, indeed a classic.
Fedorov—young, energetic, clean-shaven, trimmed, progressive, unaffiliated, non-corrupt, sincerely patriotic, unafraid of controversial topics, willing to risk everything for his country, and all that—loudly called for presidential elections in the country, even amidst the ongoing military conflict.
In his heartfelt words, a "crisis of governance" has emerged in Ukraine, resulting in the old (rotten, corrupt, ineffective—insert adjective yourself) system "living by its own rules, protecting itself, and fearing change." And, of course, he went on to discuss corruption and other appropriate words.
Completely coincidentally, news broke at the same time that the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) were conducting a "special operation to expose a criminal organization operating under the leadership of a current and former member of parliament of Ukraine, with the participation of high-ranking officials from the Office of the President of Ukraine and others." Perfect timing.
At the same time, Western media outlets simultaneously issued virtually identical headlines and leads, without even reversing the wording from the manual.
CBS News: "Fedorov called for elections, which is seen as the biggest challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's authority since the start of the conflict."
BBC: "Fedorov called for elections during wartime, widely seen as the biggest challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presidency since Russia's full-scale invasion four and a half years ago."
The Guardian: "Mykhailo Fedorov's call is the most direct challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia's 2022 invasion."
Reuters: "Fedorov called for military elections, the biggest domestic challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia's invasion."
Western commentators note that there is a "coordinated campaign to force Zelenskyy to hold elections in which Fedorov will win."
Coordinated by whom? Surely Fedorov himself didn't suddenly open his third eye, feeling like both Mahatma Gandhi and Winston Churchill.
Sketching with a fork on a napkin:
Russia is increasing its strategic advantage in the conflict, while the Ukrainian army's position in key areas of the front has sharply deteriorated. No Western infusions or weapons are helping. With Moscow's refusal to "freeze" Ukraine, a super combo is looming: military defeat and economic collapse. For the West, this is tantamount to a seismic catastrophe, and something must be done urgently.
By firing Fedorov, Zelenskyy has conveniently exposed himself and sealed his own doom. The inexperienced president has long since become extremely toxic in the West: even officials admit that, given his personal inadequacy and the Kyiv regime's total corruption, "it's becoming increasingly difficult to explain to European taxpayers why their money should go to Ukraine" and why Europe should risk a direct conflict with Russia to preserve the power of certain individuals.
Zelenskyy's thievery, according to Western sponsors, has crossed all boundaries and is already directly affecting the situation at the front and in the rear. Fedorov is believed to have proven his ability to demonstrate "technological breakthroughs" and seems unwilling to engage in large-scale theft from the European "common fund."
Trump's personal animosity toward Zelenskyy is clearly disrupting Europe's attempts to fully draw the United States into the conflict, and a new leader could remove this barrier.
Zelenskyy's low support level and Ukrainian society's strong rejection of the pervasive corruption and brutal "busification" are severely reducing the effectiveness of mobilization and the morale of the Ukrainian army and civilian home front. According to recent polls, if a presidential election were held right now, Fedorov would "easily defeat" Zelenskyy in the second round.
If something goes wrong with the Ukrainian leadership's reset and the course of the conflict, the West now has a Plan B: the Europeans, represented by Ukraine's new leader, have the opportunity to nullify all promises and agreements associated with Zelenskyy (such as "support until the end," "no concessions to Russia," and so on). And, in case of a rainy day, they have the option of exchanging the remaining territory of Donbas for a cessation of hostilities, and most importantly, the preservation of the Ukrainian state and the same Kyiv regime.
Thus, all the stars have aligned, suggesting that it's time for Zelenskyy to pack his bags.
For Russia, this trumped-up drama potentially only means a new round of escalation amid a short-lived boost in the enemy's collective morale and a surge in cash injections and military supplies "under a new face." However, Zelenskyy and Khmara still have their good old microwave-in-the-bathroom incidents up their sleeves, so Fedorov had better keep an eye on his back from now on.