Tag Archives: President Zelensky

About That Corruption Thing In Ukraine…

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On Tuesday, Breitbart reported the following:

A top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly admitted that corruption is so rampant in the wartorn former Soviet state that officials are “stealing like there’s no tomorrow”.

Speaking anonymously to Time magazine, what is alleged to be a top presidential advisor to Zelensky said that the Ukrainian government’s efforts to stamp out corruption have proved fruitless, given that they were implemented too late to have any impact, including the firing of Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov.

“People are stealing like there’s no tomorrow,” the top advisor is said to have told the publication, saying that officials do not “feel any fear” of engaging in corruption because the firing of Reznikov and others took over six months after Zelenksy was warned that the Defence Ministry was drowning in graft.

Another advisor is reported to have told the magazine that by the time Zelesnky acted “it was too late” and that the corruption scandal had not only become known in Western capitals but also among soldiers on the frontline, where troops reportedly began making lewd jokes about “Reznikov’s eggs” — a reference to the accusation that the Defence Ministry had vastly overpaid for basic items such as eggs and coats for soldiers.

The article concludes:

For his part, in an interview with Time, President Zelensky has claimed that battling corruption is one of his chief aims but asserted that the issue is being weaponised to cut off funding.

“It’s not right for them to cover up their failure to help Ukraine by tossing out these accusations,” he said.

A top official told the magazine that Zelensky has begun to feel betrayed by his backers in the West for merely providing enough assistance to survive rather than sufficient weaponry to win the war against Russia.

However, another said that Zelensy “deludes himself,” adding: “We’re out of options. We’re not winning. But try telling him that.”

The publication went on to claim that officials in Kyiv are beginning to believe that due to heavy casualties over the past year and a half, there may no longer be enough soldiers left to win the war.

Even if the United States were to supply all the weaponry needed, one aide said: “We don’t have the men to use them.”

This is not a winnable war. All we are doing is funding corruption. It’s time for the peace negotiations that the Biden administration blocked at the beginning of the war.

Is It Democratic To Hold Elections?

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On October 6th, The New York Sun posted an article about elections in Ukraine. There is currently a discussion as to whether or not elections can be held under Marshall Law.

The article reports:

Is it possible to hold a free and fair election in a country where bombs disrupt every other aspect of life? President Zelensky and Ukraine’s Western allies say yes. Opposition and electoral figures at Kyiv are less sure.

Mr. Zelensky, who has united the country and is currently likely to win an election by a landslide, says the country is ready to hold a vote under martial law. Election and parliamentary officials disagree, saying that the election should be postponed until after the war and that even this exercise would present significant challenges.

The only ones who want elections today are the president and those people now in government, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, Dmytro Razumkov, tells the Sun. “When we talk to the opposition, we all agree that it is going to be impossible to have fair and democratic elections,” he adds.

Ukraine’s Western allies are pressing Kyiv to hold elections in 2024 despite the war. Senator Graham visited Kyiv earlier this year and asked Ukraine’s government to hold elections to “take the next step in the development of democracy.” Even as it exhibits valor in wartime, the country is still widely seen as a nontransparent and corrupt nation.

Elections cannot be held under martial law, according to Ukraine’s constitution. Yet, Mr. Zelensky, who has been fighting for Ukraine’s bid to enter the European Union, says he is willing to change the law.

Before I comment on the above, I need to mention that I don’t believe anything I read about Ukraine. There are too many people invested in the destruction the war brings and too many people who will profit by keeping Mr. Zelensky in office. It is telling that the Clinton Foundation has already signed on to be one of the organizations that helps build the country after the war ends (assuming it ever ends).

The article concludes:

Mr. Razumkov says the president could be pushing for elections due to his high popularity among Ukrainians and because there is no other candidate who could confront him in the race.

In February, 90 percent of the population approved of Mr. Zelensky, according to data from Statista. This is a steep jump from pre-war figures. In March 2021, 38 percent approved of Mr. Zelensky, according to the data.

Holding elections at this time will divide a country that needs to be united, Mr. Razumkov says. For those who are pushing Ukraine toward elections, “I would say that if they want to support democratic Ukraine with democratic elections, they shouldn’t push Ukraine to have elections” now, he adds.

About That Free Country We Are Supporting

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First of all, let me make it clear that what is happening in Ukraine is horrible. Civilians are being targeted, innocent people are being killed, prisoners are being tortured and killed. It’s a horrible situation. I should also mention that the first casualty of war is truth, so we have no way of knowing how much of what we are hearing is true.

On Monday, Hot Air reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky put a program in place following Russia’s invasion of his country. His government is seeking to identify “traitors” who have expressed support for Russia and its war against “Nazis” in Ukraine.

The article reports:

Anyone who has been materially aiding the enemy is of course subject to prosecution, but people have been arrested just for expressing their support for Moscow on social media. That’s what happened to a man known only as “Victor” this month. Ukrainian security officers in full riot gear showed up at his apartment in Kharkiv to talk to him about some of his social media posts before hauling him off to jail. (Associated Press)

“Yes, I supported (the Russian invasion of Ukraine) a lot. I’m sorry. … I have already changed my mind,” said Viktor, his trembling voice showing clear signs of duress in the presence of the Ukrainian security officers.

“Get your things and get dressed,” an officer said before escorting him out of the apartment. The SBU did not reveal Viktor’s last name, citing their investigation.

Viktor was one of nearly 400 people in the Kharkiv region alone who have been detained under anti-collaboration laws enacted quickly by Ukraine’s parliament and signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion.

If four hundred people have been locked up just in the Kharkiv region under these disinformation laws, how many have been detained across the entire country? It’s almost certainly in the thousands, and all in a matter of a couple of months. To his credit, Zelensky at least got the Parliament to write up a law and signed it, which is better than doing it via an executive order the way Joe Biden did, but it’s still an alarming development.

I understand that a lot of bad things can happen during the fog of war, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine is no exception.

The article concludes:

We already know that a similar situation has existed in Russia from the beginning. Anyone who spoke out of turn about the invasion using unapproved language – including journalists – was quickly hauled from the public square and locked up. How is what Ukraine is doing any different? It’s not, at least as far as I can tell.

Of course, the United States has surrendered the high ground in terms of speaking up about this. We now have our own Ministry of Truth in the Department of Homeland Security where our own Orwellian Santa Clause will be making a list and checking it twice to see who is engaging in speech not approved by the Biden administration. How can we criticize Zelenski for doing the same thing that his biggest foreign supporter is doing?

This doesn’t sound like President Zelensky supports free speech.