Dragana Trifkovic – 21st Century Wire July 1, 2022
Zelensky awards Right Sector commander Dmytro Kotsyubaylo the “Hero of Ukraine” award. Click to enlarge
For the past few months, the world has been following the bloody events in Ukraine. The European media has been covering the war in great detail, but has been silent on the many political processes taking place on the territory of this possible new EU member state. The reality is that Ukraine is currently undergoing a deep political crisis, seriously exacerbated by Russia’s invasion. More specifically, we are talking about a confrontation between two important figures on the political scene – President Volodymyr Zelensky and former Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.
Arsen Avakov is one of the country’s most influential politicians. For seven years, from 2014 to 2021, he served as the country’s interior minister – an absolute record for the modern Ukraine. No one else has held a leadership position in the government for that long. Avakov also formally and informally controls nationalist movements in the country. Under his authority is the notorious Azov battalion, which is a unit of the Ukrainian National Guard and reports directly to the Interior Ministry. In addition, Avakov is on the political council (governing body) of the People’s Front party, also known for its radical views. Before joining the government, Avakov was in charge of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. There he developed a network of special formations – from scattered nationalist circles and associations of football fans, he managed to form full-fledged organised paramilitary movements (1). Avakov used this resource during the 2014 Maidan events to overthrow the regime at that time, after which he took over the top position in the Interior Ministry.
By increasing his political weight, the former minister has promoted his appointees to key positions in various ministries and has acquired power based on brute force, becoming a direct threat to members of the rest of the system.
The struggle between Zelensky and Avakov is the president’s fight against the out-of-control security forces. In 2021, Zelensky attempted to regain power over them and sent Avakov to resign. But the problem has not been eliminated, as Avakov’s loyalists continue to remain in power, and the paramilitary forces informally controlled by the former minister are one of the country’s main strike and defence forces.
With the outbreak of the war, Avakov’s resources have significantly increased. His units are fighting against Russian forces and their actions play a key role in the fighting. Without Azov and similar regiments, Zelensky will stand little chance of countering Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine. The president is well aware that the more the conflict with Russia drags on, the more his resources are depleted, and Avakov’s power grows.
Zelensky’s goal in this conflict is to reduce the role of the former minister’s formations in the Ukrainian army. Telegram channels reported that an official paper signed by SBU chief Bokanov, which said that representatives of special units of the Ukrainian army – members of the Azov battalion should be eliminated – has been circulating online.
According to these reports, special services have been ordered to conduct “Operation Black Phoenix”, which is aimed at carrying out sabotage on the territory of Russia and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in order to eliminate the Azov representatives who surrendered (2). Additionally, there are reports that the Ukrainian army is using “Grad” multiple rocket launchers to attack the remand centre in the village of Olenivka, where captives of this battalion are being held (3). The deeper the Russian army moves into Ukraine, the more casualties regular Ukrainian defence personnel suffer, the more valuable Avakov’s armed formations become. Whether Avakov and his hand-held formations ends up becoming a threat to Zelensky’s regime will be clearer in the next couple of months.
References:
(1) https://www.politnavigator.net/politolog-rasskazal-kak-avakov-podchinil-sebe-kharkovskikh-nacistov.html
(2) https://t.me/soroka_belaya/871
(3) https://t.me/readovkanews/34118
Author Dragana Trifkovic is a Serbian journalist, politician, political analyst, and general director of the Center for Geostrategic Studies. She was born in Belgrade, Serbia where she finished primary, secondary school and higher education. At the basic studies of the University of Belgrade, she acquired the title of graduate engineer, and then she completed a master’s degree in natural and technical sciences, as well as a multidisciplinary master’s degree at the University of Belgrade – Terrorism, Organized Crime and Security. She defended her master’s thesis on the topic “Participation of fighters from the Balkans in the establishment and operation of the terrorist organization Islamic State”. She completed additional trainings in the Russian Federation: CSTO Academy and seminars at the Center for Anti-Terrorism of the Commonwealth of Independent States. She continued her doctoral studies at the Technical Faculty of BU and the Faculty of Philosophy in Moscow
Knowing that 21st Century Wire has very suspect funding, I am usually reluctant to read or watch the content which they produce.
“The European media has been covering the war in great detail”.
That line tells you a lot about TFCW’s root system.
I really can’t comprehend how a so say alternative news channel can say such utter bullwank.
The Western fake news has reported and promoted every UKrainian lie under the Sun, and usually without a shread of evidence.
I’ve lots to say, but I’ve already wasted too much time on this crap.
Ah! Thank you, Ms Trifkovic!
A Serbian journalist can read and understand Ukrainian with relative ease. And, being Serbian, her heart is sure to be in the right place.
Great find, Rixon!
While the Jewish elite in Ukraine find it useful to be in league with the country’s Nazis–and who better to have as your fighting force than hard-core fanatical Nazis?–the Nazis will have had no plans to simply hand over “to the Jews” the Ukraine they’ve been fighting and dying for. The Banderites mass-murdered the Jews there just a couple of generations ago and in truth neither will adore the other.
I suspect the Nazis are using Jewish money, privilege and influence inside governments around the world to attract arms and financial support, but they had no intention of handing the country over to Jewish rule had they been able to repel Russia’s Special Military Operation. I think it would have soon become clear to Ukraine’s ruling Jews they should flee the country or they risk being murdered.
Jews and real Nazis have caused the nightmare in Ukraine. Jews have destroyed America.
@ Carl Jones: ‘The Western fake news has reported and promoted every UKrainian lie under the Sun…’ Oh, yes! And that huge news outlet has made up its own great fat lies. That is why Dragana Trifkovic’s article is so welcome. Her headline alone is so loud it almost deafens one:
Zelensky is on very uncomfortable ground! He now has to cultivate and please Arsen Avakov, who certainly is no soulmate of his: Avakov’s AZOV will certainly put out his lights if he dares try any ‘peace negotiations’ caper that Avakov does not like. And the AZOV people will do as they please, for, should Zelensky demur … he would not dare! And there’s the rub: He can but concede to the will Avakov and AZOV. And how will the West take that? Zelensky might well wonder, in considerable alarm.
@ KNICKERLESS
surely the Nazis fight only with not
for jewish oligarchs money and not
for jewish spirit . there will come a
time of divorce !
Absolutely nothing of what President Zelensky says or does is of his own initiative or volition. The most significant news here, is the revelation exposing “Operation Black Phoenix” – the Ukrainian Secret Service’s covert, Azov elimination plan.
Such an intrigue would not have been engaged upon Zelensky’s authority, just in order to undermine his rival’s powerbase, (as the author suggests) but rather, because the eradication of the Azov battalions is very likely a necessary pre-condition for the military involvement of a number of hesitant NATO members. Those nations which are constitutionally-bound to never again permit the promotion of National Socialist philosophy, let alone, to be seen to assist it militarily.
Mr. Avakov isn’t a man of principle anyway. He’s just another self-aggrandizing powermonger. Zelensky’s masters will have no qualms in ordering his assassination, should he begin to prove problematic to their ambitions. They’ve taken out many a bigger fish than Avakov.
I like the writer of the article’s name. “Trifkovic” sounds like something Del Boy might say, if he happened to be visiting Russia or Serbia.
Zelensky will be disposed of when he is of no further use. If he is lucky, he may be allowed to flee the country and enjoy his stolen money for a while before a pillow is put over his face (as happened to the Shah of Iran). Alternatively he may suffer a ‘heroes death’ in a convenient airstrike. Either way, his future is bleak – being a failure and a loose end that knows too much is not healthy.
nothing in the article makes sense firstly if these Azovs etc are the main strike and defence forces then it follows they must be taking the most deaths and wounded estimates at 200-500 a day so Zelensky has no worries. Secondly Russia’s secondary goal is denazification those “nazi” (terrorists) leaders will face execution again Zelensky has no problem so why shell their prison camp ? A strange article indeed
Unbefittingly, Isaac Asimov joined Azov and im in the middle.
When Antonio Banderas died fighting beside Stepan Bandera, it brought a terrible zorrow to the Ukraine.
If Arsen Avakov, he should take a spoonful of honey and stop talking so much.