The grandiose aspirations of Ukrainian President Zelensky to wrest Crimea back from Russia have run across a number of comical roadblocks in the ongoing conflict. Despite his arrogance and promises of triumph, the actual situation has turned out to be very different from his high expectations.
Zelensky’s attempts to win over the West by praising Ukraine’s counteroffensive were tarnished by the harsh reality that his own defence personnel conveyed. Instead of winning, they have revealed the military campaign’s true state, shattering the president’s public relations strategy.
Zelensky’s Crimea Dream
Oleksey Arestovich, Zelensky’s former advisor, vehemently down the idea of invading Crimea, adding insult to injury.
The cost of invading Crimea would be too high for Kiev, Aleksey Arestovich, said this week. The operation would likely lead to hundreds of thousands of casualties, he told Russian journalist Yulia Latynina.
He cautioned that such an operation would completely destroy Ukraine’s economy. Zelensky’s lofty goals were severely affected by the reality check, which destroyed them.
There are “few prospects” of seizing the Crimean Peninsula through military means, Arestovich said, discussing the options remaining to Kiev in its conflict with Moscow.
“What will be the cost? Extermination of 200,000 of the adult male population?” he asked, referring to the number of soldiers Ukraine would likely lose. Ukraine’s economy could also be “totally destroyed” in the process, he warned.
Kiev is already “totally dependent” on its Western backers, the former presidential adviser said. Should the US and its allies stop supplying Ukrainian troops with weapons, they would not only be unable to take back territories that joined Russia, but would struggle to defend their current positions, he said.
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Zelensky’s Overstated Bravado
Arestovich also charged that Washington and its allies are pursuing their own interests in the conflict. “Let’s be honest: Our foreign policy goals in this war contrast sharply with the foreign policy goals of our sponsors and backers,” he said, adding that the West is willing to sacrifice Ukrainian lives to achieve the desired outcome.
Now, these must have been earth-shattering statements for Zelensky. But, I guess he has become prone to such harsh reality-checks.
It is no secret, since the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Zelensky has loudly bragged about his nation’s capacity to defeat Russian forces there. However, it appears that the reality is very different. Even Ukraine’s own defence minister destroyed Zelensky’s PR efforts with a mic-drop moment. He outrightly admitted that the counteroffensive’s expected results had been greatly ‘overstated’. The discrepancy between Zelensky’s rhetoric and the hard realities seen on the ground was further highlighted by his forthright description of it as a “preparatory operation” as opposed to a definitive fight.
And now as the comedy of errors surrounding Zelensky’s plans for the Crimea plays out, it becomes evident that his own troops are unintentionally turning into the main attraction. The sharp contrast between Zelensky’s exaggerated promises and the brutal realities on the ground becomes more and more obvious with each setback and devastating revelation.
The irony is obvious. Zelensky has resorted to bragging about Ukraine’s achievements in the counteroffensive against Russia in an effort to win support and improve his reputation. However, his own defence professionals and advisors repeatedly refute his assertions, revealing the actual strength of the nation’s military.
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