Zelensky ‘hysterical’ and ‘yelling at generals’ as Russia continues to gain ground

Kiev knows that even regular supplies of Western weapons won’t be enough to turn the tide, Kremlin spokesman says.

Ukraine’s request for permission to use foreign-made long-range weapons against Russia is proof that Kiev has gone into full panic mode as Moscow’s troops continue to advance, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

In an interview with Reuters on Monday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky admitted that Kiev had found itself in a “most difficult” situation on the front line due to a Russian offensive in the border Kharkov Region. He also lamented delays in Western assistance and the lack of authorization to use Western weapons against targets on Russian territory.

“We are negotiating with partners so that we can use their weapons against buildups of Russian equipment on the border and even [on] their territory… So far, there is nothing positive,” the Ukrainian leader said.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the authorities in Kiev and Zelensky himself “have been making many statements in recent days, sometimes in fact slipping into hysteria. This is due to the extremely unfavorable frontline situation of the forces of the Kiev regime.”

He also suggested that Kiev’s problems had been caused by inconsistent Western arms deliveries. “The desired steady pace [of shipments] is not there. And most importantly, there is a growing understanding that even if this even pace of military deliveries is restored, it won’t allow the Ukrainian Army to turn the tide,” Peskov said.

The spokesman also said Russia would continue its military campaign in the face of what he called “inhuman shelling of civilian facilities” on its soil. “We are taking appropriate measures, as President [Vladimir Putin] has said,” he stated.

Earlier this month, Russian troops launched an offensive in Kharkov Region, capturing numerous border settlements. According to media reports, Kiev was caught off guard despite having received advanced warnings from the West. Ukrainian servicemen have also complained about the lack of defenses in the area, with some money earmarked for fortifications having been reportedly stolen.

The Russian attack came after Putin said in March that Moscow could “at some point” establish a “cordon sanitaire” in Kiev-controlled areas to deter Ukrainian cross-border attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure. Last week, he confirmed that the offensive had served this purpose, but said Russia had no plans to capture Kharkov itself.

Zelensky ‘yelling at generals’ – The Economist

Zelensky believes his generals are hiding the truth from him and has taken to shouting at them, The Economist has claimed, citing a government source.

Purported fits of presidential rage were mentioned in a Monday report on the situation in Kharkov Region, where Russian forces have gained significant ground over the last month. According to the British newsweekly, Ukrainian troops deployed there are angry at the development and have competing theories about the causes.

Some blame the US and its allies for insufficient and untimely aid, not unlike Zelensky himself, while others “suspect that incompetence, or even treachery, played a more significant role.” There are also “conspiracy theories” about politicians in Kiev and Washington conspiring to sell the territory “down the river ahead of an ugly peace deal.”

Denis Yaroslavsky, a local commander who made national headlines for complaining that fortifications that were supposed to prevent Russian advances did not really exist, told The Economist that Zelensky “is being kept in a warm bath” – that is, being told comforting lies by his aides.

The Economist’s anonymous government source said the president has been clashing with Ukrainian generals after allegedly sensing that he was not getting the whole truth about the frontline situation.

Zelensky’s strained relations with the military leadership, which reportedly stems from him putting his political goals ahead of military objectives, has previously been covered by Ukrainian and international media.

In December, the newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda claimed that the president was actively undermining Valery Zaluzhny, who at the time was Ukraine’s most senior general, in favor of Aleksandr Syrsky.

“It seems Zelensky has two kinds of troops: ‘good’ ones commanded by Syrsky and other favorites and ‘bad’ ones under Zaluzhny,” a source told the outlet. “This demoralizes [Zaluzhny] and prevents him from commanding the army as a whole.”

In February, the Ukrainian leader fired Zaluzhny and appointed Syrsky as his replacement.

A profile of Zelensky published by Time magazine last November said the president’s uncompromising drive for a battlefield victory over Russia was “verging on the messianic” and had put him at odds with some officers.

A military official described how at one point the president’s office issued a direct order to a unit on the ground to “retake” a certain city, and received the reply: “With what?” The unit had neither weapons nor soldiers, the source explained.