Zelensky: Protagonist or pawn?
The war in Ukraine boils down to three mistakes by Volodymyr Zelensky; underestimating Russia’s security concerns, overestimating NATO’s strategic commitments to Ukraine and utter stupidity. As things stand, Zelensky is aggressively being marketed across the globe by the West as a gallant ‘ war hero.’ A David of some sort, who at the moment of reckoning, took nothing else but his comedy skills to face off a ‘ goliath’ named Vladimir Putin. According to the West, the world must religiously subscribe to this narrative or be cursed a thousand times to the bottomless pit. In a rather desperate attempt to propagate this narrative, the ‘ free world’ has closed off any platform or outlet that may dare provide an alternative view. So desperate is the situation, such that, social media conglomerate, Meta, lately announced that it has changed its hate speech policy to allow Facebook and Instagram users to call for violence against Putin and Russian soldiers. On the other hand, Meta would allow praise of the Ukrainian far- right Azov battalion, which is normally prohibited. Save for the usual hypocrisy, truth is always the first casualty in war.
But the ‘ war hero’ Zelensky is nothing more than a construct, to further strategic interests of NATO at the expense of Ukraine. But history, has a tendency to judge, and surely, it will judge him harshly. It is unmistakable that, in Zelensky, the West found the best suited character to play pawn. After all, every story needs a hero; a protagonist. And along came Zelensky. He did not even need to audition for the role. Being a comedian by profession, a stand- up comedian to be precise, it was naturally his. Who else was best qualified to busk in the adulation of his numerous NATO companions; none there was. And so, the stage was set, the strategic environment, moist with apprehension. Alone in his chamber, Zelensky concluded that it was better to go to war with Russia, than to live without NATO. And why not, in NATO he had an ‘ indispensable’ and dependable strategic ally, at least in theory. And Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, reinforced this believe by ramping up war rhetoric, throwing threats, vile and insults at Putin. Zelensky, fell for the trick.
Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State had seen it coming, and in March, 2014, published a seminal piece in The Washington Post, ‘ How to End Ukraine Crisis,’ in which he advised that, “Ukraine should not join NATO” for it would be an escalation to cataclysmic confrontation between NATO and Russia. Kissinger further cautioned NATO that “subordination of the strategic element to domestic politics in negotiating Ukraine’s relationship to Europe contributed to turning a negotiation into a crisis.” But Zelensky ignored all these strategic realities, and opted to drag his people into NATO’s proxy war with Russia, on presumed psychological support of others. It is an inexcusable horrendous mistake. The outcome is as expected, when a comedian confronts a thoroughbred KGB spy, it is not comedy but tragedy.
But after all promises of immaculate support, cheerleading and vicious rhetoric, NATO has disappeared into thin air. At this present moment, Zelensky is alone and very afraid. NATO has literally abandoned him. After pitting him against Putin, they are now watching the ‘ event’ on television at the comfort of their lavish homes as Ukraine is bombed to rubble. As things stand, Zelensky is between a rock and a hard place. He either accedes to Russia’s demands or faces the onslaught of bombardment, which will culminate in him being captured or killed. NATO has become Pilate of our time. They have washed their hands off the conflict. This was recently demonstrated when Poland proposed to give Ukraine its fleet of MIG- 29 fighter jets. After US and NATO green
lighted Poland’s proposal to give the fighter jets to Ukraine and in return receive F- 16’ s to backfield the fleet, the mechanizations changed, after Putin stated that the ‘ gesture’ would be considered an act of war. The fighter jets became a hot potato. Neither Poland nor US wanted to be involved directly. The US u- turned on the proposal and called ‘ untenable’ and with no “substantive rationale.” Poland was left with an egg on the face and Zelensky, blood on his hands. At this present moment, Zelensky is starring not only at a humiliating defeat, but unfulfilled NATO promises. He requested for the establishment of no- fly zone; it was rejected. He proposed for expedited NATO membership, it was rejected and worse off, Russia is still the main EU supplier of crude oil, natural gas and solid fossil fuels. After pushing Zelensky to the brink and beyond, his NATO handlers have all ran away, leaving him with corpses and ruined cities.
The only major support, Zelensky is receiving from the Trans- Atlantic alliance, is media coverage. He is all over the scene, orating on the conflict. After all, he is a showman, it is the only theatre he knows, while his adversary, masters the theatre of war. They do not even tell him, Facebook likes and YouTube videos will not win him the war.