Ukraine’s 6th President since the 20 of May 2019, Volodymir Zelensky, 45 years old, previously a TV showman, is considered a hero by the global mainstream West for defending his country against the Russian aggressor.

Born to a Jewish family in Kryvyi Rih, Volodymir defeated the outgoing head of state, Petro Poroshenko, with 73.2 percent of the vote in the second round. His party, Servant of the People, also holds the absolute majority of seats in the Rada, Ukraine’s unicameral parliament.

Before his political career, he was a well-known actor and comedian in the country. From 2003 onwards, he appeared in several TV series and hosted a number of shows, including “Vetcherny Kvartal”. This comedy program was the most watched in the country for several years.

In 2006, Zelensky also won the Ukrainian version of “Danse avec les stars”. Finally, his flagship series, released in 2015, is “Servant of the People”, in which he plays a history teacher who, against all odds, goes on to become the president of Ukraine. A role that is, to say the least, premonitory!

His party has the same name as the TV comedy series Servant of the People. Benefiting from the success of the series, from its anti-elite rhetoric against corruption and his commitment to peace in the Donbas, Zelensky became at 41 the youngest president in Ukrainian history.

What Zelensky is trying to do is repeat the series’ story.

During the 2019 presidential campaign, Zelensky wished that his country join the EU and NATO but refused to directly take an inflexible stand on Crimea and Donbas. In fact, the new president did not want to definitely break relations with Russia.

Instead, Zelensky initially preferred to attempt a compromise in order to resolve the conflict with his vast neighbor. Only for that, he shifted away from the previous political position of former president Poroshenko who constantly fuelled the conflict in Donbas by imposing the use of the Ukrainian language throughout the country.

If he and his family are not friends of Russia, Zelensky’s grandfather died in the ranks of the Red Army during World War Two. Zelensky will even honor Soviet veterans of the Great Patriotic War at a commemoration on May 8, 2019. This all made up for a success story until Zelensky left fiction and dwelled into the political reality.

Popularity Ups and Downs

The public optimism over the course of Ukraine's destiny dwindled in less than two years. In September 2019, 52 percent of Ukrainians were optimistic and 18 percent pessimistic. Yet the polls were bleaker in March 2020 as 23 percent reported being optimistic and 60 percent pessimistic. In less than a year, Zelensky had already lost his appeal to the Ukrainian people and until the war erupted, pessimism prevailed.

Ukraine first-round presidential election results 2019. Source: https://shorturl.at/cefI1

In July 2020, a higher number of Ukrainians distrusted Zelensky with respect to those who maintained their belief in him, respectively with figures of 51 percent compared to 43 percent.

Nevertheless, the actor-turned-politician continued to personally capture more support than anyone else in his country. By August 2021, his backing stayed over 30 percent, whereas Petro Poroshenko, his nearest rival for a potential presidency, only garnered a mere 13 percent of support.

Yet in October 2021, President Zelensky experienced a monthly decline in his approval rating from 33.3 percent in September to 24.7 percent in October. In January 2022, he will even be surpassed by his two primary adversaries as his popularity tanked to 23 percent.

The outbreak of war was nothing short of a welcome boost to Zelensky’s popularity. The Ukrainian commander-in-chief will rise again to poll ratings equivalent to his 2019 second-presidential round score. In April 2022, almost 3 in 4 Ukrainians strongly backed him not to forget that 10 extra percent somewhat approved of his actions.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s approval rating in Ukraine from 2019 to 2023. Source: https://shorturl.at/EO016

One year after the onset of the large-scale conflict in February 2022, 58 percent of Ukrainians still expressed strong endorsement for Zelensky’s handling of the war. At least 25 to 30 percent of respondents held a somewhat favorable view of Zelensky’s leadership as well. The war swung the people’s vision of Zelensky because they considered he behaved as a true leader. Despite receiving offers, he chose not to depart from the nation and visibly fulfilled his responsibilities with honor.

Not so curiously, George Bush exhibited a comparable pattern in his approval ratings both before and after 9/11. Prior to the terrorist attacks, Bush experienced a sensitive decline in his poll numbers, which was then flipped by a remarkable surge in popularity directly after the attacks.

However, this ascent was ultimately followed by a long decline, ending in an approval rating of 25 percent by the end of 2008. Now Bush is the bestie of two other warmongers: Clinton and Obama.

In contrast, Vladimir Putin’s approval rating remained relatively stable at above 60 percent during the corresponding timeframe of Zelensky's presidency, until it surged to 80 percent following the initiation of Operation Z. Despite facing criticism and censure from Western media and the public since the war onset, Putin effectively dominates the domestic popularity front.

Vladimir Putin’s approval rating in Russia since March 2019. Source: https://shorturl.at/rwLOP

In reality, Putin has almost always benefited from the positive approvals of his fellow citizens since the start of his presidential tenure in 2000. His personal rating revolves at 70 percent over 23 years and he won the last presidential election of 2018 with 77.5 percent constituting his highest achievement up to this point. Significantly, his primary contender at that time remained the Communist Party, which managed to secure only 11.9 percent.

Vladimir Putin’s approval rating in Russia monthly from 1999 to 2023. Source: https://shorturl.at/rwLOP

Such respondents' consistency in internal political affairs is remarkable from the Russian president and serves as an example for Western leaders who are always agile to award moral lessons tinged with colonialism but fail to be exemplary in their own countries. Nevertheless, if these trends are to be accepted, Putin’s popularity has remained steady throughout the conflict, whereas Zelensky’s is declining, although it still holds considerable strength. Interestingly, Putin enjoys greater popularity in Russia compared to Zelensky’s popularity in Ukraine.

On Reforms

Following his victory in the 2019 election, the former actor swiftly and regrettably reneges on all his pledges regarding peace and addressing corruption.

Zelensky launched an expansive endeavor to privatize government-owned assets, implement fiscal restraint, loosen labor regulations and disband trade unions. Starting in May 2019, the new president initiated an extensive land privatization drive, encompassing 40 million hectares of fertile farmland. This move was justified by claiming that maintaining the moratorium on land sales would have cost billions of dollars in losses to the country’s economic output.

Back in 1991, Ukraine’s average income surpassed that of Russia. In 2020, the average individual earnings was $3,726 in Ukraine while the per capita income was $10,126 in Russia. Thus the contrast is far from favorable and it is evident why many Ukrainians did not welcome this neoliberal reform with enthusiasm.

Since 2014, Ukraine has been one of the countries participating in the OECD’s anti-bribery network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Zelensky is in a rush to show anti-corruption progress to speed up the adhesion of Ukraine to the EU. As the European Commission put forth a set of recommendations for Ukraine’s EU candidate status in June 2022, Kyiv is required to initiate a series of legislative and policy actions.

Flags exchange during a EU-Ukraine summit. Source: https://shorturl.at/dekyJ

Among these recommendations, the country will need to align media regulations with EU norms, safeguard the rights of national minorities, intensify efforts against corruption, implement laws allowing competitive appointment of Constitutional Court judges,…

On May 19, 2021, a bill established the prominence of the Ukrainian language. In reality, it prohibited the use of the Russian language in all aspects of public life, governmental bodies, educational institutions, and commercial enterprises.

Such a decision pleased a share of Western Ukrainians and nationalists but outraged Russian speakers in the south and eastern region of the country. If the intention was to deepen the rift, this was the choice to opt for. This former bill will now have to be ditched so that Ukraine can become a credible EU candidate.

In December 2022, Ukraine’s parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said that the assembly had approved all the legislation mandated by the EU, which was essential for Kyiv to initiate discussions about becoming a part of the bloc. It is now up to the European Commission to assess the implementation of its mandatory set of recommendations.

All this is actually pipe dream because, owing to the ongoing conflict, martial law limits Ukraine’s legislative and executive branches in carrying out certain reforms that could potentially compromise national security. As such, during the duration of martial law, the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) has halted the publication of its agenda and the live broadcasting of its sessions for the sake of security.

Glasnost is a collateral casualty here because the people are left with minimal avenues to thwart the enactment of suspicious legislation. Besides the EU has never conferred candidate status upon a nation in a state of war. Anticipating Ukraine’s EU membership advancement to proceed prior to reestablishing peace with Russia is fiction to say the least.

In parallel, this also brings Europe to cope with a fundamental question, prompting it to consider whether extending an invitation to Ukraine for membership will realistically contribute to the pursuit of peace! Kyiv’s assertiveness (aggressiveness) in joining the bloc can also merely be a Troy Horse that serves Washington’s hidden agenda of widening the conflict.

Zelensky’s Corruption

The benevolent actor and the show warrior. Source: https://shorturl.at/dsR48

President Volodymyr Zelensky has gained recognition in Ukraine primarily as an actor due to his performance in the comedy series “Servant of the People,” a production by the Studio Kwartal 95 media group. This association was established prior to his presidency, and he maintains a 25% ownership in the group.

Beyond his ownership in media shares, the Ukrainian president is reported to possess real estate shares valued at approximately four million dollars, including a notably upscale apartment situated in central Kyiv.

There was also a prior possession of an Italian villa, which has been subsequently sold. Throughout his campaign, he reportedly failed to declare the villa’s value, nearly amounting to 4 million euros. The villa is situated in Forte del Marmi, a region favored by Russian oligarchs. In response to the allegations, he justified that, being a mere civil servant at the time, he wasn’t obligated to disclose it publicly.

Forbes reports indicated that Zelensky and his wife collectively possess an estimated sum of $2 million in bank assets, accompanied by an additional million linked to their assortment of vehicles and jewelry. His overall net worth is approximately estimated to be around $12 million.

As per various articles in the Ukrainian press, referencing the asset declaration published by the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption in 2020, the president declared ownership of 22.748 million hryvnias, equivalent to roughly $8.2 million.

Volodymyr Zelensky was trapped by the Pandora Papers.

Subsequent to the Panama Papers revelation (The Panama Papers refers to a massive leak of documents that occurred in 2016), the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) released a fresh investigation on October 3, 2021. This investigation is founded on the exposure of nearly 11.9 million confidential documents, unveiling widespread tax evasion practices involving numerous public figures.

This investigation, carried out by more than 600 journalists from 117 countries who studied 11.9 million confidential files, shows how tax evasion is organized. The investigation’s name draws a direct parallel to Pandora’s box, symbolizing the opening of a gateway to a multitude of uncertainties and difficulties.

In Ukraine, the investigative website Slidstvo.info, a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), has published several documents implicating President Zelensky in secret business dealings and Zelensky faced a direct media and political storm. Caught up by these revelations, the candidate, who initially denied the information, promised to sell his shares.

According to Slidstvo.info, a document indicates that offshore companies associated with Kvartal 95 Studio, the production company established by Volodymyr Zelensky, have acquired “three apartments in the heart of the British capital (…) for approximately $7.5 million.”

The documents also reveal that, shortly before his election, Zelensky transferred his stake in a major offshore entity, Maltex Multicapital Corp. registered in the British Virgin Islands, to Serhiy Shefir (his business partner and the founder of Kvartal 95 Studio), who subsequently became his principal presidential aide.

Although he relinquished his stake, documents show that a subsequent agreement was reached, allowing the offshore company to continue paying dividends to a business now owned by his wife.

President Zelensky accompanied by his aide Serhiy Shefir. Source: https://shorturl.at/kpFHX

A childhood friend of Zelensky and another partner in Kvartal 95 Studio, Ivan Bakanov was the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) between 2019 and 2022. As per the Marianne magazine, the appointment of Ivan Bakanov as the head of Ukraine’s security service in August 2019, a few months following Volodymyr Zelensky’s election as president, was met with substantial criticism.

Despite his legal background, Bakanov lacked the qualifications required for leading the nation’s intelligence agencies. The shortcomings in his leadership were brought to light during the 2022 invasion. Bakanov remained in charge of the Ukrainian Security Service until 17 July 2022. According to a presidential decree, Bakanov was relieved of his position due to “neglecting his responsibilities,” which led to loss of life and significant consequences.

Puppet of Kolomoïsky

 

Detractors of the 45-year-old president have subsequently propagated the nickname “Kolomoysky’s marionette,” underscoring the fact that the oligarch came back from an extended period of exile shortly before the inauguration of the new head of state.

A poster showing Zelensky and oligarch Igor Kolomoysky behind his back. Source: https://shorturl.at/fPSTW

Since assuming office in May 2019, the president has consistently enjoyed the support of oligarch Ihor Kolomoïsky. Kolomoïsky’s television channel, 1+1, one of the previous nation’s prominent broadcasters, provided favorable coverage of the actor-turned-politician’s campaign.

Kolomoïsky also aired his comedy programs, including his series “Servant of the People,” in which Zelensky portrayed a humble teacher turned president by exposing pervasive corruption.

Volodymyr Zelensky’s stance is visibly riddled with contradictions. Despite his old proximity to the oligarch, he adopted a campaign strategy that involved aligning with political figures like Oleksandr Danylyuk, portrayed as a foe of Igor Kolomoïski.

In 2016, under pressure from the IMF to clean up its financial system, the former Poroshenko government nationalized the country’s main private commercial bank, Privatbank, whose main shareholder was Igor Kolomoïski. Previously serving as the finance minister under Poroshenko (an enemy of Kolomoïsky), Danylyuk was the one who oversaw the nationalization of the oligarch-owned bank during his tenure.

In 2020, Zelensky began to distance himself from the oligarch. Kolomoïsky sought to regain control of his bank which had been nationalized four years earlier, leading to a shift in their relationship.

The SBU paid a visit to Igor Kolomoisky. Source: https://shorturl.at/mvzDM

Nonetheless, Zelensky vehemently refutes any political affiliation with the billionaire. “My entry into politics is not linked to anyone’s wishes” asserts the actor. Similarly, the oligarch refutes the notion of wielding influence over the actor, stating, “I’m more of a marionette in his hands than the other way around.”

Investigative journalists unveiled in January 2019 that the then-comedian possessed business ventures in Russia. Specifically, these were production companies managed through offshore entities established in Cyprus. Following a contentious exchange with the journalists (and after insulting them), Zelensky eventually acknowledged the accuracy of the information and promised to sell his shares.

In February 2023, notable police raids targeted individuals of prominence, including billionaire Igor Kolomoïski, who ranks among Ukraine’s wealthiest individuals. He went under investigation for various offenses, including fraud, tax evasion, and misappropriation of oil products. Vassyl Maliouk, the current chief of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) after Ivan Bakanov’s dismissal, described this as an initial move in “dealing a blow to the enemy within.”

Comments over the X (ex-Twitter) post on Kolomoïski’s SBU visit. Source: https://shorturl.at/mvzDM

Ukraine Societal And Political Corruption

“Today, there is no systemic corruption in Ukraine, and occasional instances are not tolerated “— Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal; Feb. 26, 2023

Despite the progress made since 2014, Ukraine continues to grapple with deeply rooted corruption. In 2021, Transparency International, a Western NGO based in Berlin, ranked Ukraine 122nd in the world for corruption, very close to Russia (136th).

Ukraine scored 32 points out of 100 possible in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2021. Source: https://shorturl.at/jHR27

This issue is all the more sensitive as the country is officially a candidate for membership in the European Union. In the most recent ranking also released by Transparency International, Kyiv holds the 116th position out of 180 countries, significantly lagging behind European benchmarks. Russia ranks 137 and Belarus 91 like Moldava.

The list of crook politicians, lawyers, servicemen, oligarchs… is extensive within Ukraine.

Deputy Prosecutor General Oleskiy Symonenko was accused of having recently gone on vacation to Spain, even though foreign travel, except for professional purposes, is forbidden for men of fighting age. On Jan 23 2023, Symonenko, tendered his resignation following the controversy surrounding his trip abroad.

Regarding matters related to leisure trips and sunny resorts, the Ukrainian oligarchs of the “Monaco Battalion” are the pinnacle of the old saying “live happily, live hidden.”

In 2022, the SBU initiated a probe into 84 citizens who sought refuge on the French Riviera (Azure Coast) while escaping the conflict with Russia. Notwithstanding the immediate imposition of a general mobilization affecting all eligible males aged 16 to 60, as ordered by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the onset of the Russian invasion, these individuals are enjoying a luxurious lifestyle even as the conflict continues to unfold in Ukraine.

Some of the happy few Ukrainian oligarchs of the “Monaco Battalion”. Source: https://shorturl.at/in469

In March 2022, the spouse of Igor Kotvitsky, a former Ukrainian MP, attempted to depart from the country at the Hungarian border, carrying a sum of 28 million dollars and 1.3 million euros in cash. The 52-year-old ex-legislator and former People’s Deputy, previously considered the wealthiest Ukrainian MP, stated that his wife was leaving the country to ensure a secure environment for childbirth amidst the Russian invasion. He refuted the allegations that she was transporting the money across the border.

Kotvitsky maintained close connections in both business and politics with the former Interior Minister, Arsen Avakov. Back in 2015, Kotvitsky, who was a member of the People’s Front Party led by the then Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk (another nugget), faced corruption allegations. He was accused of purportedly transferring $40 million to an offshore company by utilizing Ukraine’s state-owned Oshchadbank. At the time, Kotvitsky said that “everyone distorts information in their interests so much.” In Feb. 2023, the SBU conducted searches of Kotvitsky pertaining to the misappropriation of funds in the course of state subsoil development.

Following a series of corruption scandals, in Jan. 2023, a dozen government officials and members have been dismissed or resigned. They include Deputy Prosecutor General Oleskiy Symonenko, Deputy Minister for Community and Territorial Development Ivan Lukerya, and the governors of the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporijjia, Kyiv, Soumy and Kherson regions.

The governors of Dnipropetrovsk (central) Valentin Reznichenko, Zaporizhia (southern) Oleksander Staroukh, Soumy (northern) Dmytro Zhivytsky, Kherson (southern) Yaroslav Yanushovich and the capital Kyiv, Oleksiy Kouleba, also left their posts.

The deputy head of the presidential administration, Kyrylo Tymochenko, one of the few presidential aides present since his election in 2019 and who oversaw reconstruction projects in particular, was accused in October 2022 of having used an all-terrain vehicle donated to Ukraine by the American group General Motors. After these revelations, he assured us that he had passed on the vehicle for use at the front.

Several members of the government also resigned after being targeted by various accusations of corruption. Eventually one of the first to resign was Kyrylo Timochenko, deputy head of the president’s cabinet, who had been the government’s regular spokesman since the start of the invasion. In turn, Oleksiy Kuleba, the dismissed governor of the Kyiv region, was immediately appointed by Zelensky as deputy chief of his office.

In Janunary 2023, Ukraine’s Vice-Minister of Defense, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, resigned from his post after the online media zn.ua published a food supply contract signed by the ministry, worth 320 million euros. Earlier, Defense Minister Oleksiï Reznikov had stated that the scandal was the result of an “artificial informational attack” based on a “false pretext.”

Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development” (Vasyl Lozynsky) was caught red-handed by anti-corruption police while pocketing a bribe of $400,000 (367,000 euros). He was immediately dismissed from the government.

In February 2023, David Arakhamia, leader of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party, announced on Telegram that police operations were targeting billionaire Igor Kolomoyski, former Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, and the Ukrainian tax authorities, while the Customs Department had been dismissed. Senior Defense Ministry officials were also visited by investigators.

On May 15, 2023, Vsevolod Kniazev, Chairman of the Ukrainian Supreme Court, was apprehended under suspicion of bribery. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) participated in the operation, detaining Kniaziev over allegations of accepting an approximate bribe amounting to $3 million.

On July 27, 2023, Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko was dismissed by parliament after criticism, also by President Zelensky, of government spending on Ukrainian culture during wartime.

Announcing on August 11, 2023, Volodymyr Zelensky declared the removal of all regional military recruitment leaders, citing significant suspicions of corruption.

This series of scandals has weakened the government of Volodymyr Zelensky, who had made the fight against corruption one of the priorities of his presidential campaign. Because of this administrative corruption, Ukraine’s ability to counter Russia is in jeopardy.

State of Ukraine Democracy

Even if elections are only one pillar of democracy, there is no democracy without fair and scrutinized elections.

In a podcast episode released on June 27, former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson ironically remarked that “the champion of democracy worldwide appears to have put Ukrainian democracy on hold — courtesy of field marshal Zelensky.”

As per Ukrainian laws, presidential elections cannot take place during a period of martial law. Participating in voting amid this conflict would be legally, practically, and institutionally unfeasible, given that a nation experiencing a complete invasion and partial occupation is arguably incapable of conducting elections.

Zelensky takes office as Ukraine’s new president. Source: https://shorturl.at/aowI9

Consequently, Zelensky has dismissed the prospect of holding elections amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia, indicating that he will probably continue to lead throughout the war.

No parliamentary election in autumn 2023.

Originally planned for Oct. 29 2023, Ukraine’s forthcoming elections for parliamentary deputies were set to kick off with campaigning starting sixty days earlier. This would have necessitated the finalization of regulations by the upcoming month to enable candidates to ready their campaigns. In normal times, Zelensky’s opportunity to participate in the election process would have arisen in March 2024.

If an election took place, the votes of the people in the occupied (or rather forever lost) territories could not be factored in either. And what about the votes of millions of refugees? There are 7.8 million refugees abroad and 6.5 million internally displaced individuals. Ensuring their equitable voting rights and access to polling stations would necessitate considerable effort as well.

And there is also the timing of a would-be election.

If it happened during the war, Zelensky could lose a lot, especially with the failure of the counter-offensive. But if it does not take place, it allows the current government to strengthen its tight on the political landscape with the risk of an authoritarian drift.

I believe that this condition has already materialized, and the more the war persists, the more advantageous it becomes for the Zelensky regime to occupy its own country.

Zelensky has already overstepped his constitutional duties by restricting press freedom. Due to a decree (at the start of the 2022 war), all previous oligarchic media channels were unified and became a big patriotic communication tool for the government. This consolidation of all domestic TV channels into a single platform should foster a “cohesive information strategy” during the period of martial law.

However, an unfavorable pattern is emerging: self-censorship and government-imposed censorship are supplanting the previous dominance of media owners’ censorship that existed in the past years. So choose your poison.

There are reports of Ukrainian and international journalists who complained about manual and zoning controls, about interviews by the SBU on their accreditations to access the war zone, and some journalists had to take lie detector tests...

The end result is less independent publications on the ground situation as many foreign reporters left the country.

Of course, the current limitations are seen by journalists as obligatory due to the ongoing war, and there is still optimism that they won’t tolerate such restrictions once the conflict concludes. But this is all speculation.

If a certain level of censorship is argued to be essential during times of war, doesn’t it undermine the fundamental principles of democracy after all?

Moreover, Zelensky swiftly suspended eleven political parties for so-called links to Russia. In March 2022, the majority of the banned parties were of minor significance, but among them, the “Opposition Platform for Life” held 44 seats within Ukraine’s 450-seat parliament. “Nashi”, part of the “Opposition Bloc” alliance, had a total of six deputies. A number of smaller parties not represented in the parliament were also targeted.

Viktor Medvedchuk, a prominent opposition party leader with supposed ties to the Kremlin.

(one of the founders of Opposition Platform — For Life). Source: https://shorturl.at/gntAX

Three of the suspended parties took part in the 2019 parliamentary elections and together received around 2.7 million votes (18.3 percent). In the last polls conducted before the invasion of Russia, these parties collectively obtained around 16 to 20 percent of the vote. Those “pro-Russian” parties, a catch-all term for parties that adopted a position of neutrality towards the Russian and European bloc, could truly become Russian-friendly if they are convinced that they have no political future in Ukraine or if they risk persecution.

The other main political parties; Yulia Tymoshenko’s All-Ukrainian Union “Fatherland” (26 seats), Petro Poroshenko’s European Solidarity (25 seats), and “Voice” (20 seats); are still allowed to operate in Ukraine and actually support the government.

War Shopping (as long as it takes) And Diplomacy

The Donbas conflict started in 2014 and officially opposed Ukraine to the two secessionist districts of Donetsk and Luhansk. It was immediately framed as a good-versus-evil story. Such labeling oversimplified the complexity of the conflict because no one can ever be tagged a hero solely based on the opposition to a villain.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin in Paris on December 10, 2019. Source: https://shorturl.at/pquCU

Tanks, warplanes, drones, ammunition, artillery, cannons and shells, long-range missiles… Here was the wish list of Zelensky wherever he traveled around the world to pursue the war effort after the onset of the special military operation.

Volodymyr personally accumulated prestigious prizes (Time Person of the Year 2022), candlelit dinners, flowers, hugs, photoshopping sessions, and indirectly the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest among other gifts.

More seriously, in the year 2022 alone, Ukraine was provided with approximately two thousand conventional tanks, along with varied and substantial military support, yet this proved insufficient to satiate the demands of the Ukrainian war apparatus.

What if the true reason for Zelensky’s presence at the presidency is essentially defending the U.S. way of life against an assumed retrograde Russia?

Russia declared its willingness to engage in unconditional negotiations. “We are ready to negotiate with everyone involved about acceptable solutions, but that is up to them — we are not the ones refusing to negotiate, they are.” Putin said in December 2022. On his part, Zelensky signed a decree in September 2022 stating “the impossibility of holding talks” with Putin.

Moscow considers Zelensky's prerequisites as unacceptable starting points and since Putin will only negotiate with the real team in charge (Western sponsors and NATO backers), negotiations won’t really take place between the direct conflicting sides.

Progress is more likely to occur via intermediaries like neutral nations, BRICS members, religious figures… The effectiveness of the United Nations in facilitating the peace process is uncertain (and how many truly have faith in it?) as it is perceived as both an arbitrator and decision-maker due to its location in the USA and the American influence on the organization.

Are we being lied to? Finally, we haven’t even scratched the surface about the corruption links between the US government (Biden as Vice-President and President) and Zelensky. It’s akin to an assortment of chocolates, catering to a variety of tastes.

“Thy sin’s not accidental, but a trade.”