Trending Now
We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
{{ subpage.title }}
Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny attends a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in July 2023.
Troubling accusations in Ukraine
Did Ukraine plunge Europe into the dark last year? That’s the charge from unnamed Ukrainian officials, who claim Col. Roman Chervinsky, of Ukraine’s special operations forces, coordinated a sabotage operation that caused three explosions at the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Sept. 26, 2022. The pipelines run from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, and Nord Stream 1 (Nord Stream 2 wasn't in use yet) provided about 35% of the gas European Union states imported from Russia prior to the war.
Through his lawyer, Chervinsky – who’s awaiting trial on charges of abuse of power related to a different matter – denied any role in the attack, calling it “Russian propaganda.” But he isn’t the focus of the Nord Stream accusations: Observers say they are really directed at Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s highest-ranking military officer, to whom Chervinsky’s bosses reported.
Zaluzhny was recently involved in a public spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over an interview and op-ed Zaluzhny gave to The Economist, where he described the state of the war as a “stalemate.”
Those remarks – amid fears they might prompt Western nations to push for a settlement between Moscow and Kyiv – earned a sharp rebuke from Zelensky. A few days later, Major Gen. Viktor Khorenko, head of special operations forces and one of Zaluzhny’s deputies, was dismissed in a surprise move.
Zaluzhny is a popular figure and is considered a potential political rival to Zelensky, even though he hasn’t shown an interest in politics. The leak of the Nord Stream story may be the latest sign of a growing rift between Zelensky and the military, as the conflict with Russia drags into its second year, the counteroffensive stalls, and next year’s planned elections loom.
Ukraine's outgoing Minister of Defence of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov at a briefing earlier this year.
A changing of the guard in Ukraine
Citing a need for “new approaches” in the war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky named a new defense minister: Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's State Property Fund. Umerov replaces Oleksii Reznikov, who Zelensky noted “has gone through more than 550 days of full-scale war.” Prior to the appointment, which must be ratified by Parliament, Umerov was closely involved in prisoner-of-war exchanges and served as a senior negotiator in the now-suspended Black Sea Grain Initiative.
The change comes at a pivotal moment in the 19-month war, as Ukraine attempts to accelerate training and procure needed weapons to bolster its counteroffensive. It also comes after a number of corruption scandals rocked the Ukrainian defense ministry, prompting Zelensky to clean house to maintain the confidence of Western allies. In January, he sacked a host of officials, and in early August he fired all regional military commissioners.
Umerov represents the opposition Golos Party and is a Crimean Tatar, a member of the Muslim minority persecuted by Russia. While he has limited defense experience, his strong background in business is seen as an advantage as Ukraine ramps up its military capabilities and absorbs billions of dollars of international aid. Umerov’s appointment is the latest change designed to show that the Ukrainian government can be trusted to manage that Western support – and keep it coming.
Ukraine Always Get What You Want
Soon Ukrainians will head to the polls to a pick a president. And Putin is paying attention. Ian will dig into it and then dig a whole lot deeper with former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul. And of course, we've got your Puppet Regime.