2024-09-14 19:23:30
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears proudly and confidently in the media. His statements are always uncompromising towards the Russian aggressor. But according to Deník N journalist Petra Procházková, these are just political proclamations rather than a realistic description of the situation. “Behind the scenes actions are probably increasingly different from what he says in public,” he reflects in an interview with Zuzana Tvarůžková.
Spotlight – Journalist Petra Procházková and the future of war in Ukraine | Video: Vojtěch Gross
“I imagine him as a warlord on a white horse who rides at the head of his army and simply must not show any doubts,” Procházková explains her view of Zelenský’s speeches. At the same time, in complete privacy, according to her, she already has to admit that Ukraine will probably not reach the desired borders from 1991 and will have to negotiate compromise solutions with Russia.
President Zelenskyy is playing for political points not only at the world level, but mainly also at home, where his reputation was tarnished by the “carambula” when he unexpectedly dismissed the popular Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny and replaced him with Oleksandr Syrsky. “From the outside, it looks like the relationship between Zelenskyi and the army has calmed down. Syrskyj has now even been promoted for the operation in the Kursk region,” comments the journalist.
It was the incursion of Ukrainians into Russian territory that gave the war a new dynamic, however, according to Procházková, it is still premature to assess its impact and significance for the entire conflict. “The operation is still ongoing and it seems that no one can agree whether it was a good move or not,” the war correspondent tames the estimates of some analysts, which flooded the media immediately after the operation was confirmed.
According to Petra Procházková, it is currently crucial for Ukraine to maintain good and transparent relations with the Western allies, led by the USA, because they are the only ones de facto keeping Ukraine from total defeat. According to her, this includes discussing risky operations, such as the one in the Kursk region. “If you want something from someone, and you want a lot of it, in addition to weapons, for example, money, then you have to deal with such things with them. But if the United States gave the go-ahead for an operation on Russian territory, we will probably find out only after the war,” concludes the journalist.
You can watch the entire interview in the video below or listen to it in your favorite podcast app. What were its main themes?
00:08-04:59 Is it suffocating in top Ukrainian politics? Can a change of government affect the functioning of the country? Are attitudes towards the government changing since Volodymyr Zelensky? How much does Zelenskyj himself struggle for political reputation? And have the relations between President Zelensky and the leadership of the army calmed down?
04:59-11:49 To what extent did the West know about “Operation Kursk”? How close are peace talks with Russia? What must Zelenskyj be prepared for in this context? Are there any discontented tendencies in Russian society? And where is Vladimir Putin’s political helm heading now?
11:49-17:35 How does the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region affect the mood of the Russians? Does it make sense to stick to set milestones? Did Kiev take a risk by moving troops to the Kursk region and did the Kursk region become Russia’s Achilles heel? Where does Ukraine get the courage to launch direct offensive operations on the territory of Russia?
17:35-22:40 Does Ukraine have to expect a harsh retribution? Can we expect more raids by Ukrainians on Russian territory in the coming weeks and months? Did the operation in the Kursk region affect the morale of Ukrainians? And how are Ukrainian moods spilling over?
22:40-27:17 Are there places on the map of Ukraine where Kyiv’s aid does not reach? What are the expectations of Ukrainians after two and a half years of war? Will the connection with the US still be so important? And will Ukraine ever be a free, sovereign, democratic country?
Spotlight Aktuálně.cz – Petra Procházková | Video: Team Spotlight