Has Zelensky lost his shine?
He was snubbed by the Oscars this year. Have the White House and the media also tired of his 'forever war' and 'constant call for weapons'?
There was no speech by President Zelensky at the Oscars in Los Angeles this year, despite his many pleas for a virtual presence. Instead, the best documentary film was awarded to the movie Navalny about Putin’s fearless critic, who now languishes in a Russian jail. His wife and family were on hand to receive the award, and their presence signals that America supports Navalny’s struggle against Putin.
The Ukrainians though were quick to lash out at the Academy for snubbing Zelensky again.
“If Oscar is out of the context of the war in Ukraine and the mass genocide of Ukrainians, why do you constantly talk about humanism and justice,” asked Zelensky’s advisor, Mikhailo Podolyak.
And the Oscar for being snubbed - Politico
But at this point, even well-meaning Americans have learnt to tune out an ever present Ukrainian prickliness, and ignore their tactic of shaming dissenters by labeling them as ‘Putin apologists.’ There have been numerous articles in the mainstream American press in the last week criticizing Zelensky and his plans for a ‘forever war’ that include taking back Crimea from the Russians.
In Destroying Soviet Art, Ukraine destroys its own history
With the Presidential elections looming, and tensions with China on the rise, Washington doesn’t want to get bogged down in Ukraine. While Zelensky and his party of war would rather fight the Russians forever until Putin stands trial at the Hague, President Biden is belatedly realizing that there’s a limit to American involvement. More weapons from the West, including F-16s and long-range missiles, would involve China, and only exacerbate the conflict.
Therefore, the Washington Post – normally a staunch supporter of Ukraine – ran a ‘shocking’ article yesterday criticizing the Ukrainian military. Even Politico has jumped on the bandwagon, quoting a White House aide saying that ‘Ukraine wasn’t sufficiently grateful’ and always wanted more.
Pessimism grows in Ukraine - Washington Post
That has been the narrative from Ukraine since the war’s inception and there’s finally some pushback from Washington. This change in tone also come on the heels of Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis clarifying his position on the conflict, and criticizing Biden for caring more about the ’Ukrainian border than the American one’.
Expect the White House to force Zelensky to the negotiating table sooner rather than later.