President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians to remain united, his call came days after his office and the army chief fell out over comments on Kyiv’s summer offensive, Reuters reports.

Zelensky, who also told Ukrainians in a speech on Monday that now was not the time for elections in the middle of war, called for strengthening the country and warned of a “dangerous internal struggle” that could jeopardize Kyiv’s efforts to fend off Russian encroachment.

“Everyone should now think about the defense of our country. We must unite, avoid relaxation and division into disputes or other priorities,” said the President of Ukraine.

“If there is no victory, there will be no country. Our victory is possible,” he emphasized.

His call was made after comments by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhnyi, about a misunderstanding between the country’s political and military leadership became known over the weekend.

The commander of the Ukrainian army presented an unpleasant situation regarding the offensive

Zaluzhny stated in an editorial published by The Economist and in an interview given to the publication that the situation at the front has reached an impasse, the general also made it clear, without stating it directly, that the offensive that Ukraine launched in June to liberate the south country failed.

A few days later, Zelensky dismissed the idea of ​​a stalemate in the war, while his diplomatic adviser called Zaluzhny’s comments “very strange” and suggested they might be playing Russia’s games.

The idea of ​​a blockade on the front is a very sensitive topic in Kyiv, given that after the failure of peace talks with Moscow immediately after the start of the war, Zelensky refused any further negotiations until Russian troops are withdrawn from the territory of Ukraine. .

Another clear breakdown of communication between the political and military leadership of Ukraine occurred last Friday, when Zelenskyi announced a change in the commander of the Special Operations Forces. He said that he learned about the decision from the press, and Zaluzhny – his boss – was not informed either.

Ukraine faces growing fears about foreign support

This tension arises in the context of growing tensions in Kyiv due to the military situation and on other fronts.

Five months after launching an offensive involving NATO-trained soldiers and tens of millions of dollars in Western military equipment, Kyiv’s forces have failed to break through the southern front and are now under pressure to resume Russian offensive operations in the east.

Big question marks surround the sustainability of Western military support for another year of war, while domestic fears revolve around a second winter in which Russian forces are likely to try to destroy the country’s energy infrastructure.

Some Kyiv-based sociologists say public opinion polls show an increasingly gloomy atmosphere in Ukrainian society, with polls also showing that a majority of the population says they do not trust the government or parliament.

But Zelensky’s personal rating remains very high, even if it too has fallen compared to the first year of the invasion.

The organization of elections is a topic that can be used against Zelenskyi

“We all understand that now, in wartime, when there are so many challenges, it is absolutely irresponsible to throw the topic of elections into society,” Zelenskyy said in his speech on Monday.

If not for the martial law that Zelensky imposed on the first day of the Russian invasion, Ukraine would have had to hold presidential elections next March, almost simultaneously with the presidential elections in Russia.

The election has been widely discussed in Ukraine after US Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of Kyiv, said it should go ahead as usual, even though some Western analysts and observers said it would undermine Ukraine’s unity and could be easily exploited by Russia. .

“I think now is not the right time for elections,” Zelensky emphasized on Monday.

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