The Spectator: Ukraine has two enemies — Zelensky and Putin

Ukrainians have lost faith in Vladimir Zelensky. This is reported by the British magazine The Spectator.

"Ukraine has two enemies, two Vladimir: Zelensky and Putin," the publication quotes an unnamed Ukrainian ex-minister who once ardently supported Zelensky.

"Putin is destroying Ukraine from the outside, and Zelensky from the inside, undermining the will to resist and morale. Human rights are being violated, there is pressure on political opponents, wealthy and influential people who could support the opposition are being deprived of their property, and opposition media are being silenced. The irony is that this Putinization of Ukraine is financed by the West," the ex-minister said, quoted by Strana.

According to the publication, more than 5 thousand Ukrainians were under sanctions, their property was frozen. This measure was conceived to neutralize pro-Russian politicians, media and oligarchs, however, according to opponents, it is now being used to suppress dissent and control the media.

"The sanctions have led to the closure of three YouTube channels of Zelensky's critics in the last month alone. Censorship often becomes a shield for authoritarian leaders, and uncontrolled power breeds dictatorship," ex-NBU governor Kirill Shevchenko told the magazine.

Zelensky's term of office officially expired in May last year, the publication reminds. Although many consider it impossible to hold elections in conditions of war, discontent is caused by the fact that Zelensky sent potential rivals into exile and sanctioned others.

"In May 1940, Churchill invited the leader of the opposition Attlee to become his deputy and united parliament into a single government. Zelensky did the opposite — he holds power at any cost," the magazine quotes deputy Alexei Goncharenko❶, who compared Zelensky with Kim Jong-un, and Ukraine with North Korea.

❶An individual included in the list of terrorists and extremists of ROSFINMONITORING