Dmitry Peskov has revealed what might be behind the Ukrainian leader’s rhetoric
File photo: Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky © Sean Gallup / Getty Images
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky could only dream of the levels of popular support Russian President Vladimir Putin has, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporter Pavel Zarubin, Peskov commented on Monday’s announcement by Zelensky that Ukraine had “historical” claims to six regions of Russia. According to Peskov, the statement was not merely “stupid” but rather an attempt to distract everyone from the problems that are piling up in Kiev.
”He is trying to get back the overwhelming [popular] support – he really wants to be like, for example, President Putin, so that the entire nation will support him – but it isn’t working out that way,” Peskov told Zarubin. “More and more people in Ukraine are starting to think that maybe the Kiev regime is doing something wrong.”
Zelensky is also trying to go back to where he was nearly two years ago, when the West was sending him practically unlimited amounts of money and ammunition, but “that won’t happen” either, Peskov added.
Instead of dealing with all of the problems that have accumulated, Zelensky is determined to continue the “completely pointless bloodshed” and is taking “absurd steps” such as laying claim to Russian territory, the Kremlin spokesman explained.
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Zelensky claimed on Monday that the regions of Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod, Voronezh, Rostov, and Krasnodar have been “historically inhabited by Ukrainians.” His deputy defense minister also told German media that the conflict will end on Kiev’s terms and include Russia surrendering its nuclear arsenal.
Putin is running for re-election in March as an independent candidate. Russia conducted parliamentary elections last September, including in the formerly Ukrainian regions admitted in 2022 following a popular vote.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has postponed its parliamentary and presidential elections indefinitely, citing the ongoing state of martial law. Zelensky has also banned a dozen political parties on grounds that they were “pro-Russian” and placed all TV networks under state authority.
Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has recently criticized Zelensky’s policies as having the “smell of authoritarianism,” singling out the “monopoly on information” as being bad for Ukrainian society. Many Ukrainians don’t understand the situation on the battlefield, as the state media only talks about successes and ignores setbacks, Klitschko told the Canadian outlet Globe and Mail.
According to Peskov, things will only keep getting worse for Kiev, while Moscow intends to continue its military operation until all of its objectives have been achieved.
