Ukrainians are far from World War I espionage

People in general tend to be paranoid during wartime, looking for treachery and an insidious plan in everything that happens.

Ukrainians are far from being champions in this, in fact. We are still very far from the World War I espionage.

But let me explain something about how the relationship between the political authorities and the military leadership works in times of war, just about everywhere.

Now, the political authorities and the military do not have to like each other. In the United States or Britain during the World War II, there were a lot of disputes between governments and the military that turned into polite poking at each other with obscene insults. Even in the USSR it was like that.

It was even worse during the World War I. France was still there, and there, general-ministerial disputes regularly led to personnel movements among some and among others. When massive riots broke out in the French army in the third year of the war (more than 200 in total), politicians did not want to drown them in blood because of the elections. But the military wanted to. And, by the way, they did. And after the victory, relations between the military and civilian elites in France deteriorated to such an extent that they eventually radically undermined France's combat capability before the World War II. And no amount of Maginot Line could save it.

What's my point?

I have no doubt that there are enough people in Zelenskyy's Office who do not like Zaluzhnyi or other generals. They believe that the military does not understand politics. Zhovkva's statement is exactly about that. Because Zhovkva is a diplomat, he sees it that way. Milovanov corrected him on air, saying that Zhovkva was wrong. But nothing can stop an opinion if a person has it and cannot restrain himself.

I have no doubt that among the generals there are those who are sincerely convinced that they will do a better job than Zaluzhnyi. This is actually normal - it is normal to have career ambitions.

I have no doubt that the level of paranoia that is present in any society during a war is normally scratching its head in the government and in the Office.

Shurma (Deputy Head of the President's Office - ed.), I have no doubt, sincerely believes that he is being caught up solely on orders. And not because the story of how and why he was kicked out of Akhmetov's corporation hints that he pathologically generates rumours and schemes around him.

I have no doubt that there are plenty of people who run to Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi and put paranoid ideas in their ears at various levels.

"I know how our opposition politicians and some media are investing in the antagonism between Zaluzhnyi and Zelenskyy, because they capitalise on their opposition. They even invent informants in the President's Office to make themselves look more solid.

But I advise all participants in this regatta from the government, the opposition, the military, and journalists who trade in panic and betrayal not to forget the main thing:

The only ones who benefit from a real split between the political and military leadership of the state are the Russians. Because their goal has not changed. And anyone who tries to turn tactical or communication differences (which are quite normal) into a split and a major conflict is either an idiot or a traitor.

Source

About the author. Yuriy Bohdanov, publicist, specialist in strategic communications in business, public administration and politics.

The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the authors of the blogs.