Volodymyr Zelensky faces a power struggle in 2025

ALMOST EVERY day in Kyiv, there is a moment when the war makes a loud entrance in town. This is when the funeral processions appear, rolling down main arteries into Khreshchatyk, the capital’s central thoroughfare. Traffic grinds to a halt. A tannoy broadcasts the fallen soldiers’ stories over rousing, patriotic music. The columns then make their way to Independence Square, site of Ukraine’s many past revolutions. Comrades light flares and say their goodbyes. They plant Ukrainian flags into flower beds that have long become fields of fabric, yellow and blue. In recent days, as Russia’s offensive in the Donbas ramps up, the ceremonies have become more frequent.