Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an obstacle to peace and should resign in order to put an end to the war in Ukraine, pro-Kremlin propaganda writes.
Propaganda: the war continues because Zelenskyy opposes the ceasefire, at the behest of the West
NEWS: Former adviser to Leonid Kuchman, Oleg Soskin, argues that Ukraine's illegitimate president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, should step down and establish a ceasefire.
“We must cease fire, Zelenskyy must go immediately, he is an impediment”, Soskin said on his YouTube channel. He pointed out that Kyiv is sending people to the frontline, and because of the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and other generals, tens of thousands of young Ukrainians are losing their lives.
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov previously said Volodymyr Zelenskyy was obediently carrying out the West’s orders to mobilize the population, despite the losses sustained by the Ukrainian army.
NARRATIVES: 1. The war in Ukraine continues due to Zelenskyy, who rejects the idea of a ceasefire. 2. The mobilization is carried out in Ukraine at the behest of the West. 3. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an illegitimate president.
PURPOSE: To undermine confidence in the leadership of Ukraine, particularly the president, by portraying him as illegitimate and responsible for the continuation of the war. To destabilize the internal context in Ukraine. To block the country's defense efforts.
Fact: Peace in Ukraine depends on Moscow's decision to withdraw its troops
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: In fact, the war in Ukraine continues not because of the Ukrainian leadership's rejection of the idea of a ceasefire. Zelenskyy’s resignation or the unilateral establishment of a ceasefire framework will not bring immediate and lasting peace. On the contrary, the Russian army will continue to advance and occupy as many settlements and territories as possible. Repeated ceasefires over the period 2014-2022 by the Ukrainian army were an opportunity for Russian-funded troops to occupy new regions. Soskin's claim, widely picked up by Russian government media, oversimplifies and distorts the complexity of the situation in Ukraine, assigning the entire responsibility for the continuation of the war to one person – president Zelenskyy. The evolution of war depends on a plethora of factors, especially external military aggression. Peace in Ukraine will be established when the aggressor, namely Russia, ceases all acts of aggression and withdraws its troops from the territory of a neighboring and independent state.
The UN General Assembly demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops that invaded Ukraine. Member States adopted a series of resolutions by a large majority, calling for a “just and lasting” peace. In this context, the unilateral ceasefire proposal means Ukraine would agree to the idea of surrender and renounce one's own sovereignty and integrity The decision to surrender to Russia will not reduce casualties in this war, on the contrary, it would only increase their number.
A mobilization was called in Ukraine following the introduction of martial law on the day of Russia's full-scale invasion. In the early days of the war, there were many people who wanted to defend their country. Later, the number of volunteers went down, so the actual mobilization began. It is a necessary measure to defend the country against the invasion, decreed in order to protect the country's sovereignty and support the conventional armed forces. In the context of the intense and prolonged conflict, this mobilization allows Ukraine to fend off the Russian offensive. Despite its successes or failures, the mobilization process is not implemented at the behest of the West.
The claim that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an illegitimate president is false, because he was democratically elected in the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election. The election process was recognized by international observers as free and fair. Therefore, his legitimacy as president is based by the results of this election. Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains a legitimate and legal president in Ukraine until martial law is suspended. The Martial Law prohibits holding elections as long as it is in effect. At the same time, the Constitution of Ukraine allows all elected political bodies to remain operational, being considered legal and legitimate. This legal framework ensures the efficient functioning of the state and the observance of constitutional order. The presidential election slated for April 2024 was called off due to Russia’s armed aggression, which poses an existential threat to Ukraine.
BACKGROUND: The false narrative quotes two well-known political figures on the territory of Ukraine: Oleg Soskin, a former adviser to president Leonid Kuchma over 1998-2000, and Nikolai Azarov, a former Prime Minister of Ukraine during the pro-Russian regime of Viktor Yanukovych. Both are used by Russian propaganda to illustrate a number of false narratives. Moscow's government media often quotes Soskin to convince Russians that the “special military operation” is achieving its goals, whereas Azarov has become a tool to intoxicate public opinion in ex-Soviet states. In March 2023, prosecutors in Kyiv charged Azarov of high treason for his anti-Ukrainian activities and his collaboration with war propaganda institutions in the Russian Federation.
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