The key facts

  • State Duma deputy Mikhail Sheremet called Zelensky “uneducated and ignorant”
  • The trigger was Zelensky's interview in which he called Ukraine the successor of Kievan Rus
  • Zelensky also accused Putin of deliberately counting Ukrainian statehood from 1917

The State Duma's reaction to Zelensky's statement

State Duma deputy from the Crimean region Mikhail Sheremet, in a conversation with RIA Novosti, called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “an example of an uneducated and ignorant person who broke through to power”, and called his historical musings “hilarious.” According to him, such conclusions “leave sane people baffled, provoking loud nervous laughter,” and he added that he “would not be surprised if, to him, Kievan Rus and the Khazar Khaganate are all the same.” Sheremet also advised Zelensky to focus on the problems of today's Ukraine rather than on theories about its origins, placing responsibility for the country's current situation on the Ukrainian leader himself.

What prompted the criticism

The comments were prompted by Zelensky's recent interview, in which he called Ukraine the successor of Kievan Rus and stated that the Ukrainian state existed even before Russia appeared. In addition, Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ignoring history: according to him, Putin allegedly deliberately begins counting Ukrainian statehood from the 1917 revolution, disregarding the preceding centuries.

Context

Both outlets describe the same statement by Sheremet, differing in details: Gazeta.Ru quotes his words about the need to “start thinking about how to save the modern Ukraine that he himself has destroyed,” while Life.ru adds that the deputy placed responsibility for the country's situation on the “former comedian.” The editorial note points out that both publications rely on the same comment by Sheremet to RIA Novosti, and therefore do not constitute independent confirmations. Separately, the sources mention that Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov previously stated that Zelensky could come to Moscow if he wants to meet with Vladimir Putin, and that a European politician offered Zelensky to fly to Moscow together.