The Ukrainian president is losing the battle for the “hearts and minds” of the populace, the SVR has said
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky. © Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
The US has stepped up efforts to find a replacement for Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and has already talked with a number of politicians, including former President Pyotr Poroshenko and Kiev mayor Vitaly Klitschko, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed on Monday.
Zelensky is “clearly losing the battle for the hearts and minds” of Ukrainians, especially since his legitimacy as president will be “completely lost” after his term in office expires on May 20, the SVR wrote in a statement.
Ukraine was supposed to hold a presidential election on March 31, but last December Zelensky canceled it along with all other elections, citing martial law and the conflict with Russia.
The US State Department and EU’s Diplomatic Service are “extremely” concerned by the growing discontent among Ukrainians over the “endless” protraction of the hostilities with Russia, according to the intelligence service.
“Distrust in government institutions is growing and apathy is spreading rapidly,” the SVR said, adding that the number of desertions and voluntary surrenders in the Ukrainian armed forces is soaring.
The US is now looking for alternatives to Zelensky, the SVR claimed, noting that Washington “is not even trying to hide the fact that essentially it doesn’t care” who will lead Ukraine.
For the West, it’s crucial that the new president be capable of continuing the armed conflict, so that the “war till the last Ukrainian” does not stop, the agency said.
According to the SVR, Washington is in talks with Poroshenko and Klitschko. “Secret work” is also being carried out with the presidential head of office, Andrey Ermak, former top Ukrainian commander General Valery Zaluzhny, and the ex-speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Dmitry Razumkov.
However, the US and EU would like Zelensky to remain in his post for now as long as he is tied to war financing schemes that yield “enormous profits” to both Kiev and Western arms manufacturers, SVR added.
