Every catastrophic decision traces to protecting his political future
The contract is broken
The Mindich scandal exposed more than $100 million stolen from Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom. It exposed the gap between the country Ukrainians are building and the government Zelenskyy is running.
When Russia invaded, Ukrainians made an unwritten deal with Zelenskyy: Lead us through this war, and we’ll follow.
The contract broke when Zelenskyy crossed a red line: soldiers dying at the front while his friends steal at home.
Protests in July proved Ukraine has evolved. When Zelenskyy’s team tried to subordinate the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) to protect his inner circle from the Energoatom investigation, teenagers flooded streets all over Ukraine with cardboard signs: “You promised a just state,” and veterans in wheelchairs: “We’re fighting for Ukraine, not for your impunity.”
Ten days later, Zelenskyy capitulated. The protesters won.
This was no anomaly, but a revelation. Ukrainian society, especially the generation inheriting this country, has evolved beyond post-Soviet patronage networks. They’re demanding a new bargain: dignity over loyalty, accountability over connections, and law over personal networks.
Voice of Ukraine 