Much of the old and new elites of Ukrainian society are unhappy with Zelensky's attempts to concentrate power in his own hands and his inability to lead the country out of the crisis. Negotiations are underway on a "third Maidan Square".
In the fall of 2021, a broad opposition coalition was formed in Ukraine. There are even suspicions that this is a conspiracy, and the oligarch Rinat Akhmetov is mainly blamed. His approval rating was 17 at the time4%, and the approval rating of the former ** Poroshenko is 155%。Vitaly Klitschko, chairman of the Association of Ukrainian Cities and mayor of the capital Kyiv, could have joined the two. Against this background, some experts expressed doubts about Zelensky's re-election, while others did not rule out the possibility of early elections.
During Russia's military operation, Zelensky, who has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, has skyrocketed in popularity. His opponents had been expecting it, but now they have made a move.
First and foremost, this is the result of the failure of Zelensky's team to promote around the world for more than six months. Zelenskyy's approval rating dropped from 80 to 90 percent to just over 30 percent. Knowing that things could get worse later, he tried to block the scheduled 2024** elections in order to translate his remaining popularity into legitimacy, with representatives of the ruling party "Servant of the People" making several field visits through the local **. However, it turns out that the opposition is not only capable of fighting, but also has its own candidate, that is, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, Saluzhny.
Zelensky hastily revised his strategy, claiming that now is "not the right time for elections." But it was too late. His opponents openly oppose general mobilization, rampant corruption, and blatant **ism. There was talk in the office of an attempted coup d'état, which Russia would undoubtedly take advantage of. Despite this, opposition leaders stuck to their arguments.
The following coalition was formed: Poroshenko and his European Solidarity Party, Klitschko, the imprisoned oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, and the mayors of the large cities of Kharkov, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk and Lviv, Tomash Fiala. As accusations of embezzlement of financial, humanitarian and military aid by the West against Zelensky grow louder, there are also various anti-corruption non-commercial organizations. In addition, the discontent of the military is growing day by day, and they have received suicide orders that cannot be carried out from the very beginning.
Zelensky's situation has been made easier by the poor coordination of the actions of his opponents so far. Salushni is also currently silent about his political ambitions, although, according to the rating agency, his theoretical party will receive 36% of the vote in the parliamentary elections. Zelensky's party received only 267% of the votes. 82% of respondents personally trust the general.
Zelensky has also alienated many Western **. In fact, he blackmailed his "partners" and told them that if they didn't get tens of billions of dollars, they would have to confront Russia themselves. After the defeat, newspapers in the United States and Europe are asking themselves: where is the taxpayers' money spent, and is it worth continuing to support the Kyiv regime as before?
At the same time, the West is quite loyal to Poroshenko and Klitschko. It will be difficult for Zelensky to put both of them in prison, although he has good reasons to do so. This is what the former ** did in the case of accusing Viktor Medvedchuk** of coal from the republics of Donbass. The bomb shelters in Kyiv are in poor condition, many of them have been completely closed, and Klitschko is blamed for this situation.
Zelensky's most dangerous center of power is forming around Salushny. In the event of ** or parliamentary elections, he will be the main rival. Back in 2022, some businessmen and politicians began to form teams around him,"
The expert added that the neo-Nazi Azov battalion should not be forgotten either. They have an extensive grassroots network across the country, as well as their own political party, the National Legion. "This is an effective and tight structure that unites militants who are dissatisfied with the course of hostilities. ”
Today, Zelensky is more worried about Western support and the situation on the front than about the political crisis. But if Salushni declares political ambitions, the conflict will quickly escalate into open confrontation and early elections, although this is still a mild scenario. The possibility of refusing to elect and laying the groundwork for a coup d'état cannot be ruled out.
According to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, between December 2022 and December 2023, Zelensky's disapproval rate rose from 5% to 18%. Ukrainian political scientist Ruslan Bortnik said that if he continues to play, his approval rating will also reach 50% and he will definitely lose power. It is noteworthy that the rate of distrust of the Verkhovna Rada rose from 34% to 61% during the same period. This means that parliament is now no longer a supporter of the regime, but a burden.
The head of the Ukrainian "** Konstantin Bondarenko believes that one of the main problems of the opposition is that Zelensky cannot be replaced by anyone. Even if Salushni becomes the provisional ** and not the legitimately elected head of state, he will not have enough legitimacy. Especially in this case, the West can stop its financing, otherwise the Kyiv regime will not survive.