Can Drapatyi change the course of the war? | Oleksiy Goncharenko

[00:00:00]Hello, you're watching world talks on TVP world. My name is Asha Fah. Crane has entered a new phase of the war with President Vladimir Zalinski appointing General Mikailo Draata as commanderin-chief. All setting out a strategy focused on more offensive operations, military innovation, and deeper strikes behind Russian lines.

[00:00:20]Now, leadership change comes as Russia and Ukraine continue to target each other's critical infrastructure as well as the European Union as it continues to deliberate [music] on a new sanctions package against Moscow and diplomatic contacts between Washington and Moscow resume. Joining us now is Alexi Gonchareno, Ukrainian MP from European Solidarity. Good to have you with us.

[00:00:43]>> Hello.

[00:00:44]>> So, I mean, we know more and more about uh the new commander-in-chief. just give us quickly your sense of uh what Ukrainians think of him so far at this point in time and also these new commands to strike behind uh Russian lines to continue more innovation. How different is that from what Ukraine has been doing up until now?

[00:01:07]Uh, General Dopati is a wellrespected military comm commander and a lot of people today have hopes uh for some changes for better for improvement of management and of commanding of our troops. He is young. He is 43. uh he is already he has nothing to do with the Soviet Union and Soviet military school. It's a new officer who started in Great Britain, who uh speaks English, who is uh really like has a great record of operations. But we will see. We all understand that commander and chief is a very very complicated position. A lot of challenges, situation is very challenging but I hope the general draati will manage to tackle these challenges. A lot of is now in his hands.

[00:02:09]>> Mhm. And in terms of also I mean these new commands and instructions by President Zalinski more strikes behind enemy lines or rather deep into Russia.

[00:02:19]Uh is this someone now who can carry that out let's say more than his predecessor?

[00:02:28]I don't know. I by the way I want to say thank you to to previous chief commander chief general ski too. It's uh this general also did a lot of several just just operations he organized like for example liberation of area in 2022 which I think will be in a war text books uh in militarymies throughout the whole world.

[00:02:55]So I want to say thanks to him for what he did and I hope that his a new commoder and chief will will go further.

[00:03:05]Um and yes we need to make more strikes.

[00:03:09]We need to strike uh deeper and harder but also we need to protect our own territory. Uh unfortunately like for example my native city Odessa is I constantly attacked during last three weeks probably the worst situation now is here for the moment and uh uh we need to protect our skies our people and that is also task for new commander and chief >> I know that you just mentioned your hometown of Adessa. Let's talk about also a little bit the Black Sea as well.

[00:03:43]And um also I think from this morning we're hearing that there have been already new strikes by Ukraine into Russia I think around various regions into Russia oil refineries that kind of infrastructure benev Novosko these attacks seem to be recent already perhaps looks like this new command is being followed but also in the Black Sea. I mean, we've also heard that the Russians are um limiting some of that time for their shipping out of one of their largest ports in the Black Sea.

[00:04:12]So, tell us a bit how the Russians are, let's say, strategically adapting. Is Ukraine making some more successes here in the Black Sea?

[00:04:23]>> You know, uh yeah, we have successes in Black Sea. That's true. But also, we have problems in Black Sea. That's unfortunately also true. In reality, Russians stopped commercial navigation in the Black Sea now again like it was in the beginning of full-scale invasion because they are attacking commercial vessels moving to the ports of Odessa uh and killing seammen, killing people who work in port imports.

[00:04:57]uh a and that the consequences of this will be felt throughout the whole world because for example price of food is dependent from what's going on in the port of Odessa because port of Odessa is the largest agricultural port in the world and uh 400 million people in the world are dependent from calories from Ukrainian crops. It's not my estimation it's estimation of United Nations. So if uh the situation will not be changed and uh the sea um export of Ukrainian grain would be stopped how because in reality it is already stopped uh and if it not will not change that will cause increase of prices in the world and what is food prices for for richer countries it's about inflation but for poorer countries it's about cows instability uh And uh that's what we saw in 2022. So it is very dangerous not for just for Ukraine, not just for Black Sea area but for the whole world. And we need concerted efforts from the uh international community in order to stop this Russian terror against commercial navigation.

[00:06:16]>> Uh you mentioned concerted efforts. Uh so with that I want to ask you as well of those efforts especially by the European Union. Um they are still I mean the member states are still deliberating about that recent and newest sanctions package the 21st sanctions package that did not get across the line yesterday.

[00:06:33]They're going to talk about it again today on Thursday. Um how key uh just tell us and remind us a little bit is that kind of support from the European how key is this new sanctions package uh for the efforts that Ukraine is doing?

[00:06:50]It is important both symbolically just to show that the Europe is still doing what what can do. Uh because really I want to tell you from from Odessa and from Ukraine the country and the city which is in fire today and I just in the constant attack. It looks ridiculous that Europeans can't can't make a deal about these new sanctions and it's and it looks very disappointing.

[00:07:23]That's the minimum Europeans can do to protect Europe. So we we don't ask Europeans to fight uh physically. We just ask to make steps to make to to to make it harder for Russia to finance this war and to prepare for their next attacks against Europe.

[00:07:45]>> Not just against Ukraine but but against the whole Europe. And Europe is in some discussions, debates and disputes.

[00:07:54]Um it's disappointing. I would I would like to tell you.

[00:07:59]>> And I mean you you have traveled to various European cities. is I mean you've talked to a lot of the politicians. I just want to get your sense of you you said you you're disappointed but why do you think there is this hold up? What is the block right now? I mean for many times uh it was Victor Orban who is no longer uh the leader of Hungary but what do you think in your mind is the biggest block right that this package cannot be agreed on?

[00:08:26]We hear that uh Bulgarian government had some questions to this package. Uh then uh new Hungarian government is not super supportive too. Uh now we hearing that Greece doesn't want to stop operating with Russian liquid liqufied gas and so on.

[00:08:50]So I understand that every country tries to uh I don't know protect some some interest but all of these is a very small things but these small things can can seriously damage the big strategy and the big efforts. So I think it's mistake.

[00:09:07]>> Mhm. I want to get your opinion on something else for a minute. I want to go back to domestic politics in Ukraine.

[00:09:13]We talk a lot about support this new leadership and the military. Uh and I'm just uh you know interested in some of this data that we've just got looking at the actual trust Ukrainian trust ranking and this is a a rating group poll down between July 20th to 21st. Interesting because if we look at the popularity of certain uh leadership in Ukraine on the very top it's Mrs. Zillusion about 70%.

[00:09:39]Uh we've got Fedorov at 65% now that went up apparently 30% in just one week.

[00:09:45]uh President Zalinski is on the fourth spot and Mr. Syski much much lower. So what does that tell us also and you've seen the protests in Ukraine during wartime uh what does that tell us about uh democracy and how much pressure the public can actually uh exert on the government?

[00:10:05]First of all, uh this is respected sociological company rating group, but but at the same time I'm I I really don't believe much all these ratings. What I mean is that it's very hard to answer such questions during a war. So Ukraine is in a full scale war. if we're speaking about any political ratings u any confidence level and so on these questions should be asked uh after the war will end and I think the answers could be completely different uh but answering your question yes we have a political crisis now in Ukraine we don't have actual [clears throat] we don't have legitimate um minister of defense we have an acting temporary one we don't have legitimate uh minister of foreign affairs. We have a temporary acting one. We don't have legitimate head of secret service from January. We don't have legitimate head of uh uh foreign intelligence service and all of these in the middle of the war uh fullcale war, huge war and people are on the streets, people were demanding changing of commander and chief. now which has it has happened but also people are demanding taking back former minister of defense back to his office which I doubt will happen. Zalinski showed once again when somebody of his team is becoming more popular and can make some competition to him. He is getting rid of such people. It happened with General Zelni, former commanderin-chief who was sacked in uh February 2024 and sent to London as an ambassador. That had happened with former Secret Service head General Maluke and so on. And now it has happened with the former minister of defense Federov. Uh and and it doesn't make Ukraine stronger. So I think it was a it it is a big mistake of Zilinski how he managed the current political situation in the country. Mhm. All right. And I think that's something that we'll continue to follow. But keeping it on politics, one more very quick question for you, Alexi. Uh we know that um the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is going to meet his counterpart, Mr. Lavrov, in the Philippines sometime uh Thursday morning. Um I mean, just briefly, what do you think, if anything, can be achieved by those two men meeting? Any expectations from from them?

[00:12:40]>> The the meeting already happened. They spoke for 37 minutes in Manila, Philippine. I don't know. Unfortunately, I don't have much hopes on this. It looks like United States are completely observed by Middle East and uh yes. So, not much hopes unfortunately.

[00:12:59]>> All right. So, at the same time, as we've covered already, Ukraine continues the fight, continues the strikes, um internal debate on politics, but at the same time continue to press on. Look, thanks so much. It's always a pleasure having you with us here. Um, thank you so much, Alexi Gonareno, Ukrainian MP.

[00:13:16]Thank you.

[00:13:17]>> Thank you.

[00:13:18]>> And thank you for watching World Talks, but stay right here on TVP World for more. Goodbye.