Volodymyr Zelensky cuts almost as lonely a figure today as he did on the first day after the Russian invasion nearly four years ago, when he vowed not to leave the country, but to fight. But there is a big difference. Then, Ukrainians rallied to the cause, rushing to join combat units, showing enormous resilience and social solidarity. Now, Russia’s military advance in the east is accelerating, Ukrainians are deserting or avoiding mobilisation and a big corruption scandal has deprived Zelensky of his hitherto most loyal lieutenants.
