Who benefits when injustice weakens Ukraine’s resistance from within?

By Yusuf İnan | Wise News Press
Journalist and author | Political and strategic analyst

MYKOLAIV, UKRAINE — Ukraine needs defensive weapons, air defense systems and steadfast allied support; neglect of duty and unlawful conduct that weaken the country from within place an even heavier burden on its struggle.

We are talking about people who have resisted Russia’s attacks for years: families who have lost their homes, parents protecting their children, people sending loved ones to the front.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy works to keep their struggle on the world’s agenda through diplomatic skill and persistence. Every meeting, defense agreement and statement of support reflects that effort.

At such a moment, one question demands an answer: Are those serving within the state strengthening this struggle, or eroding trust in Ukraine?

As Zelenskyy seeks missiles, trust erodes at home

In his Bloomberg interview published on October 18, Zelenskyy described the pressure facing Ukraine. He said certain actions by Washington appeared to be pushing his country toward capitulation to Russia, while stressing that he was not claiming this was his partners’ objective.

He also described offering to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries in exchange for additional Patriot missiles. According to Zelenskyy, US deliveries had fallen to 12 Patriot interceptors a month, roughly a quarter of the Biden-era level. Some deliveries already paid for had still not been approved.

Behind these figures are cities and people awaiting protection: a child surviving the night, a hospital continuing to function, a family remaining at home.

While Zelenskyy seeks support abroad, how can officials at home disregard children’s safety, leave applications unresolved and ignore ownership documents?

An official’s signature—and failure to act—affects the country’s credibility. Wartime makes that responsibility heavier.

Why ties with Türkiye must be protected

Relations between Türkiye and Ukraine also depend on trust between people. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s diplomacy and Istanbul’s importance as a negotiating venue make protecting these ties particularly important.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s appeal in Russia was significant in this context. Meeting Putin face to face in Omsk, he raised freezing the conflict and returning to the Istanbul negotiating formula. Istanbul was once again identified as a place to pursue peace.

The Organization of Turkic States brings together Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Hungary, Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus participate as observers.

Building these relationships takes years. Practices that damage trust can have consequences far beyond one petition or case file.

When a citizen of a country supporting Ukraine speaks publicly about injustice, perceptions of Ukrainian institutions can change. The answer is to take the complaint seriously, not silence the complainant.

First my children, then my home

That is why I am describing my own experience.

During my residency procedures in Mykolaiv, I struggled for roughly three months to have my documents accepted. Changing requirements, referrals between offices and prolonged delays threatened my ability to remain with my three young daughters. I also encountered obstacles when trying to take my children out of the war to a safe country.

In wartime, a delayed file directly affects a family’s life. Children facing separation from their father are no bureaucratic detail. Following appeals to higher authorities, my documents were accepted only days before the deadline. Who will answer for the anxiety and lost time?

Then came my home. It was occupied, and I was denied access. The occupants said they had lived there for five years and the house was now theirs. The police said, “Yes, this is legal; the house belongs to these people.” They did not remove the occupants. They kept me away from my home.

I stated that I had not sold it, authorized its sale through a power of attorney or consented to the occupants moving in. Yet the prosecutor’s office recorded the account of an oral sale in an official letter, then reported that it had established the house had been transferred to a third party. Despite my ownership documents and police complaints, I cannot enter my home. I do not even know what condition my belongings are in.

The struggle for my children, home and car

My experience did not end with the house. I notified the authorities that my car had been sold without my consent and that I suspected forgery in the transfer documents. I requested measures to prevent another transfer.

The replies said my applications had been forwarded and inquiries were continuing. They did not explain what concrete action had been taken to protect my vehicle.

People turn to the state to protect their homes, vehicles and children. Leaving them trapped in fruitless correspondence drains their faith in justice.

At a time when Ukraine desperately needs trust and solidarity, those eroding that trust must consider whose interests their actions serve.

Who benefits from this?

What does Ukraine gain by delaying a father trying to protect his children? What public interest is served by leaving an owner unable to access a home despite producing ownership documents?

These practices undermine the confidence of Ukraine’s supporters. Journalists describing a people’s legitimate struggle must instead recount injustices they themselves have suffered. International audiences receive examples that call Ukrainian institutions’ credibility into question.

This plays straight into the invaders’ hands.

Undermining trust in the law carries grave responsibility in a country seeking support against Russian aggression. Neglect, arbitrary conduct and indifference to injustice all cause damage.

I am not suggesting every delay proves an intelligence operation. But we cannot ignore who benefits from repeated violations. We need not know every individual’s motives to examine the political consequences.

Those neglecting their duties must reckon with the harm to their country. Trust painstakingly built abroad cannot be squandered at home.

The issue reaches far beyond one house

Against the devastation of war, I do not want to center everything on losing my home. I see displaced people, bereaved families and soldiers risking their lives.

That is precisely why I insist on state institutions’ responsibilities.

A country seeking international help to protect children must prioritize their lives within its own bureaucracy. In a country whose people’s homes are under attack, complaints about violations of the home must be taken seriously. Documented owners should not have to knock repeatedly on the same doors to defend their rights.

War makes these obligations more important.

Ukraine’s alliances depend on many political and military factors. Yet accumulated local injustices can erode public support and provide arguments for opponents of assistance.

This does not shift responsibility for the invasion onto Ukraine. Russia’s aggression has no excuse. A country resisting that aggression must not be weakened by its own institutions.

An appeal to Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian state

Zelenskyy’s diplomacy, the people’s resilience and soldiers’ sacrifices demand equal responsibility at home.

Those delaying procedures affecting children’s safety, disregarding ownership documents and passing serious complaints between offices without resolution must answer for their actions. Complaints require independent examination, responsibility must be established and violations remedied.

A state shows strength by exposing and correcting its officials’ failures. Ukraine needs that confidence today.

I continue to stand with the Ukrainian people. That is why I write. I cannot accept war being used to conceal practices that weaken their country’s resistance.

Those jeopardizing children’s ability to live safely with their fathers, or ignoring people’s homes and documents, must consider the consequences.

While soldiers defend the country, officials must uphold the law and protect people. Every practice that alienates Ukraine’s friends, consumes trust and leaves those seeking justice helpless damages this shared struggle.

As Zelenskyy seeks international defense support for Ukraine, no one serving within the state has the right to hand the invaders propaganda material through unlawful conduct.

Yusuf İnan

WiseNewsPress.com