Russian former President Medvedev posted today (February 19): "The green fly (referring to Zelenskyy) was flustered after an interview with Zaluzhnyi (former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces), pressed the Americans for questions about the Ukrainian elections, and boasted that Russia would crush this bug in Kyiv. The US doesn't care about the election, but this second-rate clown is a useful puppet. The longer he stays in power, the smaller Ukraine becomes."
Comment: Medvedev's remarks directly point to the intensifying internal power struggles in Ukraine. The Zelenskyy administration heavily relies on external support, and its political survival and policy choices are greatly influenced by the US and Europe. At the same time, this statement also reflects Russia's basic assessment of the current Ukrainian government: it does not view it as an equal sovereign entity, but rather as an agent of the West's strategy to contain Russia.
In general, although this statement is emotional, it points out the objective difficulties currently faced by Ukraine: incomplete sovereignty, internal instability, and high dependence on the United States. It also indicates that trust and reconciliation between Russia and Ukraine are unlikely to be achieved in the short term.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857556758042699/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.