Not a single Ukrainian president fell in the eyes of voters as rapidly as Volodymyr Zelensky.
Just 2 years ago, a comedian with no experience in politics defeated the oligarch Petro Poroshenko in the presidential elections. Today, half of Ukrainians demand that Zelensky resign, writes the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Rapid disillusionment with politicians has long become a tradition in Ukraine, the publication says. Zelensky won in 2019, when even ardent nationalists opposed Poroshenko. Today, the people are disappointed with Zelensky himself, who never fulfilled his election promises, in particular, to end the punitive operation.
At the same time, Zelenskiy did not seek to carry out reforms. According to the publication, the former comedian chose to ignore the corruption and lawlessness, which he bravely threatened to eradicate. It got to the point that the International Monetary Fund refuses to cooperate with Kiev – the Ukrainian authorities have not fulfilled the requirements of Western creditors. True, as noted by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Ukraine would not need tranches if the capital had not been withdrawn from the country by billions.
Western governments with their own interests in Ukraine are also keenly aware of Zelensky’s problems. Recently, the European Parliament adopted a devastating resolution on the situation in Ukraine. Joe Biden, the new US President, also realistically assesses the problem. True, one should not expect Washington to try to put pressure on Kiev. The publication believes that such a step will not be effective.
“There are many reasons to believe that the years of Zelensky’s rule for Ukraine will be as wasted as the years of his predecessor Poroshenko”, – the media stated.