Ukraine “Israel” of Eastern Europe? Meanwhile, the disputed defense minister Reznikov is resigned

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has been dismissed from his post, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky announced. Reznikov had led the ministry since before the full-scale invasion of Russia began in February 2022.

But in his nightly speech, President Zelensky said it was time for "new approaches" in the defense ministry. Rustem Umerov, who manages the Ukrainian State Property Fund, was named by Zelenskyj as Reznikov's successor. A politician, not a military expert, in a hot and technical position.

“I believe that the Ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction both with the army and with society as a whole,” the Ukrainian president said in his speech from the capital Kiev.

Ukrainian media have speculated that Rezhnikov will become Kiev's new ambassador to London, where he has developed good relations with high-level politicians. However, it cannot be hidden that rumors about the minister's lack of transparency had been circulating in Kiev for some time and his deputy was forced to resign over allegations of corruption.

What could be the new approach Zelensky talks about, certainly recommended by the USA? Turning Ukraine into a kind of Eastern European Israel.

Ukraine Eastern Israel ?

The military situation in Ukraine is evolving very slowly, with the front almost stabilized or with minimal changes. The situation, on a larger scale, resembles that of Israel in the first thirty years of its life: a country perpetually at war or in an armed truce, with hostile countries on its borders. This would therefore predict a future for Ukraine that is not peaceful, but one of permanent militarization.

But what does an Israeli evolution mean for the country?

• Security First: Every Israeli government promises, first and foremost, that it will ensure security – and it knows that it will be judged on that commitment. Ordinary citizens, not just politicians, pay close attention to security threats – both from cross-border and domestic sources – and a large part of the public chooses who to elect based on this metric alone.
• Entire Population Mobilized : The Israeli model goes beyond Zelensky's vision of security services deployed in civilian spaces: Most young Israeli adults serve in the military, and many are employed in security-related professions after their service. A common purpose unites citizens, making them ready to bear the shared sacrifice. Civilians acknowledge their responsibility to follow safety protocols and contribute to the cause. Some even arm themselves (albeit under close supervision) to do so.
• Self-defense is the only way : if there is one principle that animates Israel's security doctrine, it is that Israel will defend itself and not rely on any other country to fight its battles. The tragedies of Jewish history have ingrained that lesson deep in the nation's soul. The trauma of Ukraine, forced to fight alone against a bigger aggressor, reinforces a similar conclusion: do not depend on the guarantees of others.
• However, have active defense partnerships : self-defense does not mean total isolation. Israel maintains active defense partnerships, primarily with the United States, which provides generous military assistance, but also with other nations with which it shares intelligence, technology and training. While Ukraine probably won't join NATO any time soon, it can nonetheless deepen security partnerships with Alliance members and receive aid, weapons, intelligence and training to strengthen its self-defence.
• Intelligence Dominance : From its earliest days, Israel has invested heavily in its intelligence capabilities to ensure it has the means to detect and deter its enemies and, when necessary, act proactively to target them. Ukraine will need to upgrade its intelligence services to compete with Russian capabilities and ensure it is ready to prevent and repel Russian attacks.
• Technology is Key : While it relies on U.S. assistance, Israel also chooses domestic technology solutions for many of its biggest challenges. Multi-layered missile and missile defences, anti-drone systems and tunnel detection technology are just recent examples. Already home to brilliant tech masterminds, Ukraine will know what threats it faces more than any other partner; investing in your own solutions will enable you to be more responsive and adapt to new threats.

There is a problem: despite the political divisions, sometimes even extreme, Israel is an extremely cohesive country in the face of external threats, which has even created a language almost from scratch to show its uniqueness. Ukraine is neither linguistically nor ethnically nor politically remotely similar to Israel. Furthermore, Ukraine's corruption problems are deep and need to be eradicated, and ultimately, however, Israel has been an immigration point for Jews from all over the world for 30 years. The Ukrainian population, on the other hand, is currently undergoing a sort of diiaspora.

Thinking of copying external models, at this stage, is utopian. On the positive side, however, this attitude reveals that, in any case, there should finally be some negotiations, perhaps in winter, before the elections both in Russia and in Ukraine. If nothing else, both sides will try.

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The article Ukraine "Israel" of Eastern Europe? Meanwhile, the disputed defense minister Reznikov is being resigned from Scenari Economici .

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This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/ucraina-israele-dellest-europa-intanto-viene-dimesso-il-contestato-ministro-della-difesa-reznikov/ on Mon, 04 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000.