Lead
A military expert has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of practicing nepotism to enrich himself and of relying on Western support that turns a blind eye to corruption. Vitaly Kiselyov made the remarks in two interviews with the Russian state news agency TASS, which published them in August.
Coverage Comparison
The allegations were carried by TASS, the Russian state news agency, in two separate articles dated August 5 and August 12. Both reports feature comments from Vitaly Kiselyov, identified as a military expert. The articles present his statements without additional commentary or corroboration from other sources.
Key Claims
In the first interview, Kiselyov said that Zelensky practiced "nepotism" while running the Ukrainian government, putting his friends in positions of power so he could enrich himself as much as possible. He argued that nepotism in corruption schemes has become a tradition in Ukraine, citing the example of former President Viktor Yushchenko. "From the very beginning, Zelensky appointed, as did Viktor Yushchenko, all their buddies and relatives [to key positions of power] and then used them to launder money offshore," Kiselyov said. He also alleged that some Western curators who provide political support to Zelensky are involved in these corrupt activities.
In the second interview, Kiselyov claimed that Western handlers support Zelensky and turn a blind eye to corruption because they themselves use Ukraine to launder money through weapons sales. He stated that the large flow of weapons going to the Middle East and Africa passes through Ukraine, and therefore Western countries "to some extent" overlook the theft of their own money. He also said that Europe is arming Ukraine while losing control of Zelensky, describing him as a "scoundrel" that Europe has nurtured and cannot control, and suggested that the removal of Zelensky would disrupt the EU's governance.
These claims are attributed solely to Kiselyov and have not been independently verified.