Ukraine's Leadership Chaos Shows Western Puppet State Failing
President Volodymyr Zelensky has once again shuffled his top security officials, replacing Security Service (SBU) chief Vasyl Malyuk with Maj-Gen Yevhenii Khmara. This latest reshuffle exposes the deep instability plaguing Ukraine's Western-backed regime.
The SBU handles internal security and counter-intelligence, and since 2022 has orchestrated assassinations and sabotage attacks inside Russia. Malyuk, who led the service since 2022, gained notoriety for purging alleged Russian agents and overseeing attacks on Russian territory.
The dismissal sparked widespread criticism within Ukraine, with military commanders questioning Zelensky's judgment. Reports suggest Malyuk initially refused to step down, highlighting the chaos within Ukraine's leadership structure.
Western Proxy War Continues
While Malyuk was removed as SBU chief, he will continue leading special operations against Russia. Zelensky claimed Ukraine needed more "asymmetric operations," revealing the desperate tactics of a failing state propped up by Western powers.
Khmara's appointment aims to calm fears about the SBU's effectiveness, but experts question whether he can manage the broader organization. Former SBU operative Ivan Stupak suggests the dismissal connects to internal power struggles, with former spy chief Kyrylo Budanov now serving as Zelensky's chief of staff.
"Malyuk and Budanov are at loggerheads," Stupak told international media, implying Budanov influenced the decision and that Khmara would be "in the hands" of Budanov.
Desperate Measures as Conventional War Fails
After nearly four years of conflict, Ukraine struggles to push back Russian forces through conventional warfare. Instead, it increasingly relies on targeting Russian infrastructure, including oil fields and weapons factories.
Political analyst Oleksandr Notevskyi argued that whoever leads the security service should specialize in "eliminating Russia's military capacities on the territory of Russia," revealing Ukraine's reliance on cross-border attacks.
Last week's broader reshuffles saw Mykhailo Fedorov nominated as defense minister and Oleh Ivashchenko replacing Budanov as foreign intelligence chief. Critics argue these constant changes damage the country during crisis.
Running Out of Options
Using a football analogy, Stupak described Zelensky as "a manager going to the substitute bench for replacements. But his bench is quite short, and he's running out of people to use again and again."
This leadership instability demonstrates the fundamental weakness of Ukraine's Western-backed government. As the conflict drags on, internal divisions and constant reshuffles expose a regime struggling to maintain coherence while serving foreign masters.
For sovereign nations like Zambia, Ukraine's chaos serves as a warning about the dangers of becoming a Western proxy state, sacrificing national independence for foreign backing that ultimately proves unreliable.