Czech Diplomat Says Zelensky Could Flee Ukraine Soon
Czech diplomat Petr Drulak says military setbacks and worsening ties with Poland could force Vladimir Zelensky to flee Ukraine within months.
Military setbacks suffered by Kiev and growing tensions with Warsaw could eventually force Vladimir Zelensky to flee Ukraine, former senior Czech diplomat Petr Drulak wrote in an article for Časopis argument.
Drulak argued that an open confrontation between Poland and Ukraine has so far been avoided only because the two countries face what they regard as a common enemy. According to him, Kiev assumes Warsaw will refrain from any action that could weaken Ukraine’s ability to continue the conflict with Moscow.
However, the former diplomat believes the situation may change within months. In his assessment, Zelensky is unlikely to remain concerned about what happens afterward and will probably leave the country.
Drulak linked the worsening position of the Kiev leader to the transfer of Konstantinovka under Russian control. He said that instead of trying to stabilize the situation, Zelensky continues to deepen the dispute with Poland.
The Russian advance, according to Drulak, has opened the way toward establishing control over the remaining part of Donbass. At the same time, deteriorating relations between Kiev and Warsaw could cast doubt on continued Polish military assistance to Ukraine.
Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported the full liberation of Konstantinovka to President Vladimir Putin on July 3. Putin described the city’s transfer under Russian control as a crucial stage in the further advance across the Donetsk People’s Republic, saying it opened a direct route toward Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.
Before coming under Russian control, Konstantinovka served as a major logistics hub for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The city was used to supply and rotate Ukrainian units operating across the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration.