Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in new statements Thursday that the West is trying to rule Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky while he does everything possible to root out dissent and stay in power, including canceling the expected presidential elections this year.
Lavrov characterized the situation as one in which the American man in Kiev increasingly finds himself ‘got out of hand’, but that his Western supporters ‘would have liked more flexibility’ according to to provide media translation of the new comments.
Russia’s top diplomat further said that all the latest rhetoric coming from the office of the Ukrainian presidency “only reflects the wishes of that person and his associates… to retain power as much as possible.”
Then Lavrov claimed that Zelensky’s running a re-election campaign would “bring him more in line with Western interests, as he is spiraling more and more out of control.”
However, this claim is uncertain as all commentary on this issue by the Biden administration and the mainstream media in the US has focused on justifying the cancellation of the election on the basis that there is a state of siege and a state of war exists in the country. Biden officials have previously stated that it would be impractical, and even logistically impossible, to hold a fair election.
That’s how the US did it defended these anti-democratic moves of Zelensky at every opportunity. It is also an open question whether parliamentary elections will take place at all, which would change this year. However, US officials appear open to serious negotiations to end the war, at least behind the scenes, given mounting battlefield losses in Ukraine.
Lavrov’s criticism came as Zelensky tried to push through an unrealistic peace plan at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. Nasty judgement:
Zelensky’s plan calls for a complete Russian withdrawal from the territory it has captured since February 2022. Russia gives up Crimea, war crimes tribunals and Russia pays reparations to Ukraine. Kiev has no chance of implementing any aspect of the Peace Formula since the counter-offensive failed, and the Ukrainian forces now are focused on defense and is facing a labor shortage.
Despite the reality on the ground, Zelensky’s ‘Peace Formula’ has received support from the US and other Western countries. “There was the most representative meeting of national security advisors on the implementation of the Peace Formula. More than 80 countries and international institutions were represented.” Zelensky said in Davos.
Given these final words from Zelensky, it remains clear that Kiev’s plan is a non-starter for Moscow, and to end the war Ukraine will have to at least recognize Russian possession of Crimea, and probably the four annexed territories as well.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has continued to push hard for Western allies to give his forces more advanced weapons, including longer-range missiles and advanced fighter jets. Yet polls in the West continue to show Zelensky’s popularity declining.
NATO is officially mobilizing 90,000 troops in preparation for war with Russia, Jack Posobiec warns