DISINFO: Zelenskyy is the main obstacle to peace
SUMMARY
Zelenskyy is a major obstacle to peace, which all Ukrainians without exception want, from ordinary people to soldiers. Only those who benefit from this war are those who talk about the need to continue military operations. The main seller of sorrow and death is Zelenskyy, and he must go.
RESPONSE
Recurring po-Kremlin disinformation aiming to undermine the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and portray him as a war criminal. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
There is no reason to suggest that Zelenskyy is intentionally prolonging the war for personal benefit. The Ukrainian president has repeatedly expressed willingness for peace negotiations, but on terms that respect international law and Ukraine's territorial integrity. Zelenskyy has consistently stated that Ukraine seeks to liberate all occupied territories, including Crimea and other occupied territories, and to secure a lasting peace. These objectives align with international law and Ukraine's constitutional duty to protect its borders.
On the other hand, Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have a track record of pretending negotiations which are, in fact, just blunt demands for Ukrainian unconditional surrender. We have analysed and exposed this disinformation tactic in several articles, especially: "Prepare for winter" (30 Nov. 2023), "Russian so-called ‘peace proposals’ are empty PR stunts" (18 Jan. 2023) , "What He Said and What it Really Means – Vol. 2: “Negotiations” (1. March 2022) and "The Kremlin security demands" (21 Dec. 2021).
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that dictator and war criminal Zelenskyy rejects peace talks, that Europeans blame Zelenskyy for stalling the peace process, that Zelenskyy is no more the legitimate leader of Ukraine and his decisions are illegal, that Zelensky is illegitimate and therefore Russia is directly fighting the West, and that Ukrainian leaders cannot be negotiated with because they are illegitimate criminals and terrorists.