Key to victory lies with Zelenskyy: time to appoint competent experts, not friends - Colonel Grant

Retired British Army Colonel and renowned military expert Glen Grant expressed this opinion in an interview with Antin Borkovskyi, host of the Studio West program on the Espreso TV channel.

“Ukraine is still not taking the war seriously—we are still ‘playing’ at war. There are far too many people at the front who lack the necessary level of training, including generals. Apologies, but that’s the reality. Additionally, the logistics system still leaves much to be desired. Until all these issues are resolved, Ukraine will sooner or later have to retreat. We need to appoint competent colonels and brigadiers to leadership positions. If we can also address logistics and the development of the defense industry, we will start moving forward again. However, there is still a lot of work ahead. Unfortunately, Zelenskyy seems not to realize that the key to victory is in his hands. He needs to stop appointing friends to leadership positions and start selecting competent professionals. Victory requires skilled people, not friends in power,” he stated.

Generals need to be leaders who inspire trust and who others are willing to follow—leaders with significant military experience. Grant noted that on many fronts, there is a severe lack of truth, as those who dare to speak it are often dismissed or sidelined.

“There is a vast difference between how the West trains its officers to fight, the skills and tools it provides, and the approaches typical of the Soviet training system. These are completely different approaches, and generals trained solely in Soviet norms are often unprepared for modern challenges of war. Therefore, we need to choose people who can be trusted, who trust their subordinates, and who do not abuse their power. These leaders should personally visit the front lines to understand the real situation and form strategies based on what is actually happening—not on maps, reports, or overly positive accounts, but on real conditions. Furthermore, these leaders need the trust of their subordinates so they can openly report the truth without fear of repercussions,” the colonel said.

It is unlikely that Russia will achieve a breakthrough on the front lines. However, Russia still has resources and can receive additional supplies, including from North Korea. The Russians are certainly not facing a shortage of resources.

“They could achieve a breakthrough, but the problem is that they have lost significant potential, especially in leadership. A breakthrough requires exceptional preparation and execution, and I don’t think they are capable of this at the moment. Instead, they seem to be sticking to their current tactics: striking Ukrainian front lines, using numerical superiority to encircle and make localized breakthroughs, and inflicting losses on Ukraine at a pace that is hard for Ukraine to counter. This is what they are doing now, and they are doing it quite effectively. The Russians have been following this strategy for two years and seem unwilling to abandon it. Furthermore, they are acquiring more and more drones, as the Russian defense industry has now fully adapted to the needs of war,” Grant added.

• Journalist Vitaly Portnikov noted that Trump is unlikely to reach an agreement with Putin. Zelenskyy’s position differs significantly from that of the U.S. president-elect and his team.