Zaluzhnyi's article in CNN: now Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief won't resign of his own accord

Let me summarize with five points about the political situation in Ukraine after Zaluzhnyi's article.

1. Zaluzhnyi will not resign of his own accord, even if the Presidential Administration expect him to. If he were to leave now, it would look like he was abdicating responsibility for the army, which the government has put in a difficult situation out of fear of "unpopular decisions" regarding mobilization.

2. If Zaluzhnyi is dismissed now or in the near future, it will look like revenge for criticism, and it is absolutely fair. The situation for the President’s Office is losing.

3. Zaluzhnyi does have a PR team working for him, apparently an international one, which suddenly came out from behind the scenes at a critical moment and showed its talent. To write a text such as Zaluzhnyi's article in two days and promptly agree with CNN on its publication - guess for yourself what quality of speechwriting talent is required here (spoiler: very high) and what level of ties (spoiler: it is plus or minus the level of the State Department).

4. We should not make an idol out of Zaluzhnyi. Our army still has a lot of problems, including unresolved Soviet sores. But it seems that he is currently our best candidate for the position he holds. The alternatives available to those on whom we depend for vital support were clearly not impressed.

5. At such moments, one can be sincerely glad that not everything in Ukraine is decided by the majority of voters and the political leadership they elect. Fortunately for us, there is also "external governance".

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About the author. Oleksiy Panych, philosopher, member of the Ukrainian Center of PEN International, blogger.

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