Ukraine's Blame Game Begins: Who is Responsible for Kiev's Looming Defeat?

Ukraine's Blame Game Begins: Who is Responsible for Kiev's Looming Defeat?

Sputnik

As Russia's victory looks increasingly imminent, Ukrainian politicians are starting to seek a scapegoat to blame.

The Ukrainian leadership is coming face-to-face with not only the failure of its counteroffensive but also seemingly imminent defeat in the more than 20-month-long conflict with Russia - despite months of triumphalist rhetoric from Kiev.

While Western leaders appear to be seeking a face-saving exit from their proxy war, past and present Ukrainian officials are busy finding someone to blame. 

How come Ukraine is losing? Wasn't it clear from the outset that Ukraine had considerably less troops, military equipment and resources to prevail? So who is to blame?

Volodymyr Zelensky

According to Sergey Kryvonos, a retired general of the Ukraine Armed Forces and former deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, it's President Volodymyr Zelensky's fault that Ukraine is losing.

The president's promises of victory to Ukrainians have never turned into reality, Kryvonos said on air at the "Pryamoy" News Channel.

"Last year and in the first half of this year, we were told about victory, that the Russians were already exhausted, that they no longer had missiles, that their economy had fallen. Did they say that? Yes, they did. (…) But did all this really happen? No", the retired general said, adding that the Kiev regime's words about a "powerful counteroffensive" were also just hot air.

Ukrainian politicians have started blame-shifting for the profound failure on the battlefield as the conflict enters its 21st month.

🔺Davyd Arakhamia, leader of the Servant of the People party, claims it was then-UK premier Boris Johnson's idea to go all in fighting instead of signing a peace deal with Moscow.
🔺Alexey Arestovich, ex-adviser to President Zelensky, shifts the blame onto Kiev's NATO allies for not providing "real assistance".
🔺Sergey Kryvonos, retired general of the Ukraine Armed Forces, lays the blame at President Zelensky's door over his "empty victory promises" and misinformation.
🔺 Arakhamia's partymate, MP Maryana Bezuglaya, pins the blame on Commander-in-Chief Gen. Valery Zaluzhny for not proposing "the vision for 2024."

While the blame game is gaining momentum in Ukraine, Russian forces are continuing to gain ground on the battlefield, storming strategically important settlements.

Kyvonos argued that Zelensky "must think not only about himself but also about training the population [in security]," which is not happening. He recommended that the Ukrainian president hire professionals instead of mere speechwriters who "write speeches for him to read."

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