It was an unexpected political attack that seemed to go to the heart of Ukraine’s existence and identity as a modern state – and how it fights for its future.
Ukraine’s popular former defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said this week that it’s time for elections in the war-torn country. The clear implication: he wants change at the top.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has been leading Ukraine through a period of intensifying Russian bombardment – 12 people were reported killed in ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv early on Thursday – but is also facing his most serious internal challenge since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Shorts
Ukraine is fighting for the right not to be part of Vladimir Putin’s dream of a new Russian empire, but the Kremlin will be watching closely for any sign that discord in domestic politics weakens its will to fight on.
