Thread by @RomanSohn

What we see in #Ukraine today is that people don't want to believe what they see with their own eyes, and what they hear directly from #Zelensky. The mix of people's hopefulness and Zelensky's #populism is blinding them to reality.
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There is clear evidence that #Russia-connected #Yanukovych era power brokers have influence in #Zelensky's power vertical. Yet people pretend either that this isn't happening, or that it is not relevant, and will not impact Zelensky's presidency.
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#Zelensky's inaugural speech echoed several RU propaganda narratives:
-#Kyiv is "responsible for continuation of war
-Kyiv "neglected RU speakers"
-Kyiv "abandoned people in occupied UA"
-"#Ukrainian is divisive factor in UA"
-"post-Maidan govt was the biggest problem in UA"
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Zelensky's formula "we didn't start the war, but we must end it" promises serious destabilization for Ukraine. Russia is waging the war on UA. UA doesn't have soldiers on RU soil. UA has no leverage on RU. "Ending the war" as Ze suggest unavoidably means concessions to Moscow.
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Rational minds understand that #Moscow will not be making any concessions to #Ukraine. Despite Western sanctions, #Russia maintains the upper hand in its undeclared and unlawful war on Ukraine.
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Western sanctions are simply not strong or severe enough to force #Moscow out of #Ukraine, and western elites are too irresponsible and corrupt to thwart #Russia's aggression in Ukraine. The West is not doing enough to even protect itself.
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Every rational person understands that for #Ukraine to unilaterally stop #Russia's war, it must either win by force (not an option), or make concessions to RU, which is what #Zelensky is preparing Ukrainians to accept. Such scenario will bring about more conflict & turbulence.
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Anyone could have "ended" the war, as #Zelensky suggests, so "our heroes don't need to die", back in 2014. However, the cost would have been the de-facto end of #Ukraine's sovereignty. This was unacceptable, and is why Ukrainians sacrificed their lives defending against RU.
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Those who think #Zelensky drew a strong red line on concessions to #Russia by stating that "no territory will be given up" should recall that RU's objective engraved in #MinskAccords is not to capture UA territory, but to obtain tools of political control over all of #Ukraine.
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The biggest risk of #Zelensky's policy is not about ceding territory to #Russia, but making the grave concession of ceding political control over the #Russian occupied territories of #Ukraine and giving #Moscow direct power & influence in Ukraine's domestic affairs.
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