West's Senior Officials Increasingly Discussing Need to Replace Zelensky, Russia's Intelligence Says
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - High-ranking officials from leading Western countries are increasingly discussing the need to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on Monday.
In the West, there are more and more voices criticizing the President of Ukraine. Thus, in November, Republican Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy called him a "comedian in cargo pants" and US entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk earlier criticized Zelensky for seeking further financial assistance.
"The Foreign Intelligence Service is receiving reliable information that high-ranking officials of leading Western countries are increasingly discussing among themselves the need to replace the current president of Ukraine, V. Zelensky," the SVR said in a statement.
The West believes that Zelensky has gone too far in creating the image of a supporter of a war with Russia to a victorious end, and he will not be able to become a party to negotiations with Russia to temporarily "freeze" the conflict, if necessary, the statement read.
"Among the reasons cited are Zelensky’s unfulfilled promises to defeat Russia on the battlefield, the endless rudeness of the Ukrainian president in dealing with foreign partners, and boundless nepotism and corruption in Ukraine, the scale of which shocks even Western politicians who know a lot about such matters. But the main thing is Zelensky’s loss of ability to maneuver in a conflict with Russia in the interests of Washington and allies," the SVR said.
According to the US intelligence, given the development of the military situation, the need to replace Zelensky may arise soon, the statement said, adding that Brussels is considering Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny and head of Ukraine's intelligence service Kyrylo Budanov among possible successors.
