According to the British publication The Economist, power in Ukraine is becoming increasingly concentrated in the hands of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The magazine notes that Ukraine’s greatest vulnerability may not be military, but political. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, many moderate and liberal Ukrainians have faced a difficult dilemma: criticizing the government for corruption, incompetence, or mismanagement risks undermining international support — while remaining silent means tacitly accepting President Zelensky’s growing grip on power.
The article reports that the government is preparing for potential elections while tightening its control over key political and civic institutions. It cites sanctions against former president Petro Poroshenko, the deployment of anti-corruption activist Vitaliy Shabunin to the front lines, and the dismissals of high-ranking officials including Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Dmytro Kuleba, and Mustafa Nayyem.
The Economist emphasizes that even Ukraine’s most ardent supporters are becoming increasingly concerned: “The president’s administration is unwilling to share power — not only with opponents, but with anyone perceived as a potential rival. The risk is that this undermines the country’s self-organizing resilience.”
