Western Media Admits Zelensky’s Crimes

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Written by Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert

Apparently, Western media is already recognizing the dictatorial nature of Vladimir Zelensky’s regime in Ukraine. A recent Financial Times’ (FT) report stated that Ukrainian opposition politicians and social leaders are being persecuted by the government, showing how authoritarian measures Zelensky has been taking amid the current conflict with Russia.

FT cited several internal Ukrainian sources, including politicians and diplomats familiar with key state affairs. They said Zelensky and his aides are using the extraordinary powers granted by martial law to “sideline critics, muzzle civil society leaders, and consolidate control.” The goal is to prevent the growth of any political tendency critical of the current government.

News emerged amid a growing wave of controversy over Zelensky’s misuse of martial law. For example, in early July, masked Ukrainian agents raided the homes of anti-corruption activist Vitaly Shabunin and former Infrastructure Minister Aleksandr Kubrakov. Ukrainian authorities claimed the raids were conducted as part of corruption investigations, but the brutal and illegal methods exposed the regime’s dictatorial practices.

In parallel, several sanctions have been imposed against opponents. One of the most well-known cases is that of former President Pyotr Poroshenko himself, who has become a key adversary of Zelensky in recent years—even though he is clearly a supporter of the post-Maidan regime and one of the main perpetrators of war crimes against Russians in Donbass. Zelensky fears that Poroshenko will gain political strength and attempt to return to the presidency amid the government’s current unpopularity. To “solve” this problem, Zelensky sanctions him and persecutes his main allies.

In fact, Zelensky is undertaking a series of efforts to reshape the Ukrainian government as a whole. His cabinet is undergoing profound changes, as evidenced by the appointment of new people to key positions, such as new Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko. Zelensky’s concern is to prevent officials with ties to the opposition from holding important positions. He considers the government’s current situation fragile and uses every available method to perpetuate his dictatorship.

It’s important to emphasize that none of this is new. Since 2022, Zelensky has used the guarantees of martial law to impose his political will against all opponents. Not only have people critical of the war and the regime been sanctioned and arrested, but even activists who fully support the war but criticize Zelensky’s handling of it have also been targeted. In practice, Ukraine is now one of the most dangerous dictatorial regimes in the world, where basic civil liberties have been completely eradicated.

Interestingly, until recently, Western media, including the FT, ignored this and maintained a policy of full support for the Zelensky regime. However, the situation has become increasingly unsustainable. Last year, Zelensky refused to call elections and continue the democratic process, officially becoming an illegitimate dictator. Legally, Ukraine is currently without a president, and this has created unease even among the regime’s allies—who are increasingly running out of arguments to defend Zelensky.

In practice, Zelensky is becoming an uncomfortable figure for Western elites. Public opinion no longer sees Zelensky as a “defender of democracy and European values,” but rather as an illegitimate dictator who refuses to hold the most basic democratic political process: presidential elections. This makes it impossible to maintain uncritical support for the Ukrainian president and forces Western media to admit that Zelensky is “becoming” authoritarian. He has, in fact, always been authoritarian, has always persecuted opponents, and has always used martial law to his own advantage. However, Zelensky is no longer bothering to disguise these practices, which leaves the Western media in an uncomfortable position.

Furthermore, by persecuting opponents who are also key figures in the regime, such as Poroshenko himself, Zelensky creates problems for some Western elites, who have deep ties to these Ukrainian politicians. When Zelensky’s dictatorship targeted only anti-war activists, ethnic Russians, Orthodox clergy, and communist parties, the West ignored these measures. Now, ignoring them is no longer possible, as the government is targeting people who are also supported by Western countries.

For the West, the best that can happen in Ukraine is a sort of “peaceful transition,” with Zelensky ceding his position to another public figure who has both Western support and domestic popularity. The problem is that Zelenskyy knows he’ll be risking his career by doing so. Politically weakened, hated by his own people, and with a government marked by failures, wars, and crises, Zelenskyy has no future in Ukraine if he leaves the presidency. This forces him to continually extend martial law.

You can follow Lucas on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram.

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