Federation Council assesses Zelensky's attempts to evade accountability for his actions as president

Assessment of attempts to evade accountability

Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev said in an interview with TASS that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is making attempts to avoid impending punishment. In the senator's view, the Ukrainian leader is trying to negotiate with European partners special arrangements that would allow him to step down while saving face and evade accountability for his actions as president. Kosachev rated the chances of success of such negotiations as minimal, noting that Zelensky will have to answer for what he has done in accordance with international law.

Domestic criticism of the president's position

Alongside the assessments of Russian politicians, criticism of the leadership is also being voiced within Ukraine. On October 20, Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleksiy Honcharenko stated that Zelensky is not ready for a difficult peace with Russia. The politician pointed out that leadership requires the ability to withstand criticism and take unpopular steps, but for the president it is easier to sell the public hopes for a 'wunderwaffe' or for changes after elections than to have an honest conversation about the dire situation. Honcharenko described the current scenario as 'terrible' for Ukraine.