Yesterday on the Substack platform, an American investigative writer Seymour Hersh, a Pulitzer Prize winner, published a text that, if the information contained in it turns out to be true, could announce an upcoming earthquake in Ukrainian leadership.
Hersh, known for his access to high-ranking sources in U.S. intelligence and military structures, presented a disturbing diagnosis of the current situation in Kiev and behind the scenes of American policy towards the Russian-Ukrainian War.
From Hersh's text emerges a image of the worsening crisis of president Volodymyr Zelenski's leadership and plans for its possible dismissal – not only at interior initiative, but besides with strong support from overseas. According to the author, the most likely successor of Zelenski would be the current commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces – General Walery Załużny.
"He is now seen as Zelenski's most reliable successor. I was informed by well-informed officials in Washington. He may take over within a fewer months.”
Zelenski, according to Hersh's reports, found himself on the "short list" of people planned to "go into exile" – if the decision was made by Donald Trump after a possible return to the White House. Should a U.S. authoritative refuse to step down, the solution would be forced by force:
“He will not leave voluntarily. The ball is on his side.”
Washington, as Hersh claims, is increasingly inclined to believe that further escalation of the war with Russia does not lead to a breakthrough and that negotiations are needed while there is inactive a chance to end the conflict on conditions acceptable to the West. The current Ukrainian president, despite his erstwhile heroism and the function of a symbol of resistance, ceases to be seen as a leader who could lead the country through another phase of war or peace negotiations.
Hersh points out that Zelenski most likely knows what's going on. This is evidenced by his decision to resign 3 key officials: the Minister of Defence, the Prime Minister and the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States. According to a US authoritative quoted by Hersh:
“Zelenski begins reading informing signals.”
In the background of these movements, intensive discussion in the US administration is to take place: how far to interfere with Ukraine's interior affairs, and whether it is worth going to take control of the situation utilizing services specified as the CIA.
“The wise part is: let the Ukrainians solve this alone. But any leaders are impatient. This will all take more than 50 days.”
Hersh is not certain of Trump's current position towards Zelenski, but points out that the erstwhile U.S. president has importantly tightened his speech towards Russia. Following a gathering with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, he was to publically state that:
“Putin tricked quite a few people – including a fewer American presidents – but did not fool me.”
Trump announced further deliveries of U.S. weapons to Ukraine and an increase in the Ukrainian army's impact capabilities in Russia. However, Russia treated these declarations as a individual affront to Putin and responded with further escalation of rocket and air strikes. There were besides individual animosities. Hersh writes that Trump is inactive offended by Zelenski's visit to Washington last winter, erstwhile the Ukrainian president appeared in a typical combat outfit. Trump was then to call him contemptible “a man in pajamas.”
However, it is worth paying attention to another, possibly key component of the puzzle. According to Hersh, General Merit maintains working contact with General Valerij Gierasimov – Chief of Staff of the General Armed Forces of Russia and Putin's trusted man. The cooperation took place even erstwhile He informed the media about the “stage” of the war. This suggests that a communication channel is possible, which could be utilized in possible peace negotiations – but without Zelenski's participation.
Hersh besides claims to have access to the latest estimates of American and British intelligence services, which point to dramatic Russian losses:
“Russia has lost 2 million soldiers – almost twice as much as authoritative data.”
According to 1 U.S. official:
"Putin is not afraid of losing power, but is losing popularity. Trump is the only 1 who can keep the war alive. Who truly has power? It's not Zelenski. Its only origin of strength is the United States.”
As the same authoritative adds:
“Trump asks: How can these bastards stop? He thinks that only he can make a deal.”
This is simply a message that, as Hersh notes, can be sent straight to Putin: if Zelenski is replaced, Moscow can inactive declare “win” and enter peace talks with the fresh leader.
The author emphasizes that the war, though bloody and devastating, reached a point of stagnation. Russian losses are colossal, and the offensive organised by Moscow after the U.S. election did not produce the expected results. The Spring run aimed to gain the largest territories before possible peace talks – but it failed.
"The offensive shifted the front line by just 120 miles. The areas acquired are mostly useless farmland – without strategical significance.”
Importantly, according to 1 official:
"All the best soldiers died. The army is now made up of unskilled peasants. All modern equipment was destroyed. It is untenable.”
Putin, seeing the collapse of the offensive, was to control to an air panic strategy – compared by interviewers Hersh to “Blitz” in London during planet War II. However, as the author notes with a snack, “the citizens of Kiev do not show the same determination as the Londoners at Churchill”.
Moreover, the situation on the Ukrainian side does not look good either. Hersh cites data according to which Ukraine is presently suffering losses of 60 soldiers per square mile of progress. While these numbers are inactive "sustainable", the problem is the structure of the army:
“Most of them are long-exempt from recruiting deserters who have late been recruited into the military.”
Skepticism towards Europe is besides very interesting. According to a U.S. authoritative who spoke to Hirsh:
"No 1 in Europe will spend weekends in the countryside and surviving in Paris to support Zelenski. Europeans will agree to anything.”
He besides resented the training of Ukrainian pilots by Western countries:
"Ukrainian pilots learned to take off but not land."
The conclusions that can be drawn from Hersh's text are far-reaching. In the spheres of American politics, the belief that war can no longer take place on terms that have been in force for the last 2 years is growing. There is besides a clear change of tone: from support "to the end" to crisis management and seeking a political solution – even at the expense of loyalty to Zelenski.
If Hersh is right – not erstwhile in the past he provided revelations that later confirmed – then Ukraine is on the verge of not only political solstice, but besides a fresh chapter of war. A chapter that can be written by individual completely different from the president.
