Zelensky Falters

Where is Zelensky speaking from?

What is a female political activist like Nassima al-Sadah, who says she was tortured in a Saudi Arabia prison, to make of Zelensky’s visit to the Arab League Summit, which is a whose-who of male non-democratic rulers? What am I to make of it!

She might point out, “listen to the echo in his voice.” It sounds like he’s in that big room but we can’t see him, only a projection. Is he behind the screen? Or in a separate room? Where exactly is he? Why doesn’t the media show his surroundings? Rather, why does the media make it seem like he’s in the same room with everyone when there is no proof he is (if one cares to look)?

Perhaps he’s in a private room with the real power-brokers.

Just in case I haven’t made my bias clear. I’d rather we had better relations with Iran than the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. By the way, why wasn’t Iran there? Isn’t the KSA and Iran friends now?

Assad, from Syria, first time there in a decade.

If you wonder why no one from the West was in attendance.

When his own turn came to speak, Mr. al-Assad used his few minutes to castigate the “domination of the West, devoid of principles, morals, friends and partners.” The emergence of a multipolar world is “a historic opportunity to rearrange our affairs with the least amount of foreign intervention,” he said.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, of the KSA, has been doing a “Russia” on Yemen. Indiscriminate bombing. Starvation tactics. The irony on that one is off the charts.

In my opinion Zelensky wasted political capital on that visit. It smacks of high-level corruption.

Back on the home front, Zelensky insists Russia has not captured Bahkmut. First, there’s no Bahkmut left to capture. I’ve been of the belief that Ukraine has used Bahkmut to both weaken Putin’s friend’s private military and kill as many Russians as it can. The whole thing is beyond-the-pale disgusting.

When Zelensky makes the same bravado claims Prigozhin makes I get a little worried. Bahkmut wasn’t worth the cost to hold onto it anymore. Zelensky is speaking down to people. I hope this doesn’t become a trend.

Zelensky is tired. Overwhelmed. Probably surrounded by more sycophants than before the war. At heart he’s a communicator, not a geopolitical strategist. I understand I might as well read tea-leaves, but I feel Ukraine’s government is in a crisis (which isn’t visible yet).

Why do we hear nothing from Ukraine’s Parliament?

While Zelensky eliminates corruption on a small scale, the big players are seizing their opportunity.

Until Ukraine delivers on its counter-offensive, Zelensky might be better off staying home.

Zelensky arguing that Arab Sheiks should care about poor Crimean Tartars because they’re Muslim is, I imagine, a howler of a joke even to the Sheiks themselves.