Volodymyr Zelensky increasingly reveals his true nature. For months, the Ukrainian president has enjoyed nonstop adulation from the American press and audiences with celebrity glitterati. But now, the reality of his rule in Ukraine is becoming undeniable, even to his most ardent enablers in America, many of whom happen to be Republicans.
In just the last few days, the narrative has palpably shifted. First, Thomas Friedman of the New York Times sent up a trial balloon, a clear signal straight from one of the White House’s most dependable stenographers:
Dear reader: The Ukraine war is not over. And privately, U.S. officials are a lot more concerned about Ukraine’s leadership than they are letting on. There is deep mistrust between the White House and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky—considerably more than has been reported.
The Biden administration had previously been as deeply committed to escalation in Ukraine as Senator Lindsey Graham or actor Ben Stiller were, but suddenly even the West Wing is beginning to acknowledge the futility of unreservedly backing Zelensky. Apparently, there are limits, even for the Washington War Machine.
What are those limits regarding Ukraine? Well, for starters, Zelensky rules much like his adversary, the universally denounced Putin, does. Zelensky shut down all opposition media in Ukraine, then banned opposition political parties. He declared that Russia would have to kill every single citizen of Kyiv to get to him, but also found time to pose for a melodramatic Annie Leibovitz portrait spread for American fashion magazine Vogue. Zelensky also fired the Ukrainian equivalent of the U.S. Attorney General and the head of the CIA, on the very same day, perhaps during breaks from his grandiose photo shoot.
Like Freidman, CBS News apparently got the memo to start tarnishing Zelensky’s halo. That network explored the folly of sending a mountain of U.S. taxpayer money into one of the most corrupt countries on Earth, though later deleted its tweet on the topic. CBS admitted that vast amounts of American largesse has been pilfered, conceding that “much of the billions of dollars of military aid that the U.S. is sending to Ukraine doesn’t make it to the front lines.” CBS also quoted an on-the-ground operative who disclosed the reality of America’s generosity: “like 30 percent of it reaches its final destination.”
By Steve Cortes
