DISINFO: Disgraced dictator of Ukraine Zelenskyy is an extension of the EU
SUMMARY
The days of the disgraced dictator of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are numbered. He is a pass-through, speaking for the powers of the EU. He is an extension of the EU.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives attacking Ukraine’s sovereignty and leadership, especially president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, portraying Ukraine as a puppet state.
The EU supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and has no saying on what the Ukrainian government should do. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically elected president and parliament. Its independence and territorial integrity is internationally recognised by the whole world, including Russia in 1991.
Zelenskyy is a democratic leader who won the 2019 election by a landslide with over 73% of the vote. While this popularity may have changed over the years, his approval rate remained very high at the time this disinformation story appeared. A survey conducted by Ipsos/The Economist in mid-March 2025 showed that 72% of Ukrainians approved his job as president, while 80% considered that he had democratic legitimacy as president.
Although Zelenskyy’s continuation in power after his initial mandate expired in May 2024 generated some domestic controversy, Ukraine’s constitution is straightforward: no elections can be held during wartime and the President of Ukraine exercises his powers until the assumption of office by the newly-elected President. Even Zelenskyy’s fiercest political opponents have rejected the idea of conducting another election during wartime. See here for a full debunk of the disinformation message about Zelenskyy as a dictator.
Another goal of this disinformation story is to portray Europe as being opposed to “peace” in Ukraine. See here, here and here for a full debunking of this disinformation narrative.
The European Union is committed to achieving a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine, ensuring that Kyiv’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected. From the onset of the war, the European Union and its Member States have, with their partners and allies, underlined the need to put an end to it through a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law. The European Council conclusions on 6 March 2025 restate the principles the EU supports in the pursuit of a just and long-lasting peace.