The West to replace Zelensky already in near future, Russian intelligence says

Western leaders discuss the need to replace Volodymyr Zelensky as President of Ukraine, Director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin said.

Moreover, the need to replace Zelensky may arise already in the near future, Naryshkin added.

Zelensky failed to fulfil his promises to the West. He could not defeat Russia on the battlefield with all the help that the West had provided. In addition, Ukraine's partners are fed up with Zelensky's rudeness, Naryshkin said.

"Most importantly, Zelensky has lost an ability to manoeuvre in the conflict with Russia in the interests of Washington and allies," Sergei Naryshkin said.

The West believes that the Ukrainian president has gone too far in creating the image of an uncompromising supporter of the armed conflict with Russia to Ukraine's victorious end. Zelensky will thus be unable to become a party to negotiations with Moscow to temporarily freeze the conflict, Naryshkin said.

Kyiv's Western colleagues are outraged by boundless nepotism and corruption in Ukraine, the scale of which shocks even knowledgable politicians, the Director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service said.

To replace Zelesnky, the West considers the following candidates:

• Valery Zaluzhny, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,
• Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate,
• Vitaliy Klitschko, Kyiv Mayor,
• Andrii Yermak, the head of the Office of the President,
• Alexey Arestovych, former adviser of Zelensky's Office.

The Europeans believe that each of the above-mentioned candidates may play the role of a "Ukrainian Pilsudski” and create a strong "cordon sanitaire” between Russia and Europe for decades.