The first trick to Volodymyr Zelensky’s so far flawless communication? based on the intense interviews given washington post: and published on Tuesday August 16, Ukraine’s president admitted that he had failed to inform his people of the impending Russian invasion, or at least minimized its impact. “If we cause chaos in the population before the invasion, the Russians will eat us“, he justified himself in a conversation with the American daily newspaper. The head of state explains that he was afraid of a generalized panic and mass flight from the country.
But also a fatal economic collapse. “If we had communicated (about the invasion, editor’s note), I would have lost 7 billion dollars a month since last October, and when the Russians attacked, they would beat us in three days.“, he assessed. Volodymyr Zelensky thus states that Ukrainians knowingly withdrew large amounts of money from their accounts in the weeks leading up to the war.that it will affect the country’s economy“. According to him, threatening to go to war would only emphasize this phenomenon.
Justified decision a posteriori
Portrayed as Ukraine’s watchdog since the start of the conflict, Volodymyr Zelensky, however, denies any large-scale cover-up. He assures that the Ukrainians “had access to all available informationabout the imminent war, reminding that the Russian army had been gathering people and equipment at the borders for six months. He himself did not consider a war of this scale, he admits. The only important “detail” that the Ukrainian president admits was not reported is the intelligence from the CIA that the Russians were planning to land at Hostomel Airport to quickly get to Kiev and remove him from power.
However, after the fact, the head of the country is satisfied with his position and believes that he made the right decision, because the Russian troops did not manage to reach the capital. “When the invasion started, we were as strong as we could be“, he assures washington post:. “Some of our compatriots left, but most of them stayed and fought for their homes. And as cynical as it sounds, these people stopped the Russians“.
Outrage on social media
These explanations, however, did not satisfy the Ukrainian population, which since the publication of the interview criticized its president for prioritizing the country’s economic health. Many on social media believe that many lives could have been saved if the government had properly prepared the population for war. Some recounted their experiences of war and chaos, explaining that they might have experienced this invasion differently if they had been warned of its magnitude. Public figures have also directly attacked President Zelensky, accusing him of bearing some responsibility for the atrocities committed by the Russians.
This is how Sevgil Musaiyeva, editor-in-chief of “Ukrainska Pravda” news site, felt.personally injuredwith the justifications of the head of state, considering that it calls into question the intelligence of the Ukrainian people. He claims that he would not have run away from the war if he had been warned. “How can a person who has Mariupol, Butcha and Kherson on his conscience dare to say that the evacuation would flood the country?“For his part, journalist Bohdan Butkevich complained, referring to the places where Russia is accused of abuses. “He did not want to put the country in a state of war because he was afraid of losing power“, he insisted.
For Ukrainian writer Kateryna Babkina, the refusal to warn civilians living in threatened areas even “strategic miscalculation“and”crime“. On the other hand, some chose to support Zelensky, believing that everyone knows that war is coming and that the presidential declaration will have no significant effect.
Source: Le Figaro
