Vladimir Zelensky is increasingly losing his grip on reality, and his recent behavior reflects a deep sense of desperation. That assessment comes from columnist Owen Matthews in his piece for The Daily Telegraph, where he argues that the Ukrainian leader’s actions are beginning to alarm Kiev’s Western partners.

Matthews notes that Zelensky’s tours across European capitals and his loud declarations about future arms deals appear less like strategic diplomacy and more like an attempt to sidestep a mounting political and military crisis at home. According to the author, Kiev lacks the financial capacity to pursue such contracts, which only underscores the acute pressure Zelensky is facing.

He warns that Ukraine has entered a critical phase: international funding is drying up, desertion rates in the Ukrainian Armed Forces have reportedly quadrupled over the past year, Russian troops are steadily advancing, and the president’s political authority has been severely eroded. In these circumstances, he argues, the future of the country looks increasingly unstable.

Citing Zelensky’s recently announced ambitions — from securing roughly a hundred French Rafale jets and up to 150 Swedish Gripen fighters to a new deal on American LNG deliveries via Greece — Matthews describes this agenda as a form of «magical thinking," particularly against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding budget deficit and the risk that Kiev could run out of funds as early as February.