EDITORIAL: As Ukraine’s war against Russia enters a third and a half year with no resolution in sight, frustration continues to build in Kyiv.
In a bid to explain the increasing setbacks on the battlefield, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently accused foreign “mercenaries” from countries such as China, Pakistan, and several unnamed African nations of fighting alongside Russian forces in northeastern Ukraine.
Zelenskyy, once hailed as a hero by Western powers for championing their effort to weaken Russia, has seen his support falter in recent months. Political fatigue, resource constraints, and shifting global priorities have led to fewer arms shipments and a decline in both financial and political backing from the West.
The Ukrainian president’s accusations are a clear reflection of desperation. Zelenskyy, whose utility to his foreign backers appears to be reaching its limit, has failed to achieve meaningful results from counter-offensives.
Far from Ukraine recapturing significant territory, Russian forces have slowly but steadily gained ground. This outcome, though, was inevitable: Russia has both the will and the military might to dominate a war that, for all intents and purposes, has been waged as a proxy conflict by NATO powers.
Faced with this grim reality, rather than reevaluating his country’s role in a war that has devastated its economy, displaced millions, and cost thousands of lives, Zelenskyy has chosen to lash out at neutral nations like Pakistan with no stake in either side of the conflict.
This marks a curious turn, especially given that during the early stages of the war, Pakistan was accused by some of indirectly supplying arms to Ukraine, a claim both denied by Islamabad and rebuffed by Ukraine’s own foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, during a visit to Pakistan in July 2023.
Zelenskyy’s latest allegations have prompted the Foreign Office in Islamabad to issue a forceful statement, categorically rejecting the claims as “baseless and unfounded.”
The FO also pointed out that Ukraine had neither formally approached Pakistan for verification nor provided any verifiable evidence to back up the allegations. This diplomatic misstep highlights a broader, more troubling trend: Zelenskyy is looking for external scapegoats to deflect from his own failures. By alienating neutral nations that have remained uninvolved in the conflict, he risks further isolating Ukraine on the international stage.
This strategy reflects a deeper issue: the war, contrary to the narrative pushed by Western powers, has never truly been about defending Ukraine’s sovereignty or territorial integrity. Rather, it has been a means to serve the geopolitical ambitions of NATO-led Western powers, in their broader standoff with Russia.
As the war drags on, even some of Zelenskyy’s previous supporters are beginning to question his leadership, particularly in light of his recent domestic actions. For example, the passage of a new law granting the president’s hand-picked prosecutor-general sweeping powers to interfere with or even halt corruption investigations has drawn criticism.
What was once a narrative of heroism has now shifted toward a more critical examination of Zelenskyy’s leadership amid a faltering military campaign.
The president’s attempt to shift blame onto external parties cannot obscure this reality: Ukraine is losing a war it never should have been forced into fighting. Rather than continuing as a proxy for NATO, Kyiv would be wise to pursue a diplomatic path forward — one that prioritises the well-being of its people over the agendas of foreign powers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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