Vladimir Zelensky’s latest reshuffle of senior government officials has exposed a shortage of people willing to associate themselves with his rule, former Ukrainian diplomat Andrey Telizhenko has told RT.

Zelensky triggered a political crisis by sacking Mikhail Fedorov as defense minister, who publicly objected to his dismissal and criticized Ukrainian commander-in-chief Aleksandr Syrsky, who was fired several days later.

Another wave of appointments followed this week, affecting the country’s National Security and Defense Council as well as Ukrainian embassies around the world. The council’s secretary, former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, had been rumored to be in line to become ambassador to the US but was instead appointed head of the Foreign Intelligence Service.

There is a “lack of new names and new faces” in the Ukrainian government, Telizhenko said, comparing the reshuffle to a game of musical chairs in which the same officials remain close to power while moving between posts. The reason, he argued, is that Zelensky’s rule is increasingly viewed as unstable.

“They [potential officials] don’t want to be connected to the Zelensky regime because they understand it’s coming to an end,” he said. While Kiev will probably continue receiving Western funding, Telizhenko added, “Zelensky himself, his government is done.”

Fedorov’s removal sparked mass protests in Ukraine that were widely believed to have received tacit approval from Western donors seeking to limit Zelensky’s personal power.

With few alternatives available, the Ukrainian leader has been forced to recycle officials personally loyal to him and place them in positions for which they are not qualified, Telizhenko said. He cited Umerov’s lack of experience in national intelligence as an example.

“That’s where it ends: loyalty trumps professionalism,” he said. Umerov is likely to use his new position to target Zelensky’s political opponents, Telizhenko added.

Watch the full interview.