Arestovich says he will punish Zelensky and his allies if elected president.
Internal political tensions in Ukraine are worsening. While the US is trying to start a peace dialogue with the Russians, the Ukrainian neo-Nazi regime is reacting with desperation. The current illegitimate government is trying to take dictatorial measures to prolong the war and continue being in power, while the opposition is gaining strength and toughening its criticism of Vladimir Zelensky.
Aleksey Arestovich, a former adviser to the Head of the Office of the president of Ukraine, recently promised to arrest “Zelensky and his gang” if he becomes president of Ukraine in the next elections. Arestovich said he would give the order to punish the regime’s high-ranking officials, possibly imprisoning Zelensky “for life.” He also made it clear that no matter what measures are taken and “where they [Zelensky’s allies] are hiding,” all those responsible for the Ukrainian tragedy will be found and punished in the same way.
“I will give the order to detain him. And no foreign power will save him and his gang. We will catch everyone, no matter where they are hiding, we will get them out from under the ground, bring them in and we will deliver the verdict live on air. No, not even a hair will fall from his head. He will get jailed – and I believe – for life,” he said.
Arestovich’s words follow a series of statements against the current president, in which he blames Zelensky for Ukraine’s defeat. He had previously admitted Ukraine’s defeat and blamed both the Ukrainian government and officials collectively for the country’s tragedy. Arestovich believes that Zelensky’s regime has created a culture of corruption, arrogance and exaggerated pride among Ukrainians, which is why victory in the war has become impossible.
More than that, Arestovich has also specifically criticized the peace process to end the war with Russia. He blames Zelensky and his allies for the fact that Kiev is being excluded from the diplomatic talks. Arestovich claims that Ukraine’s future is being decided by the “US, Russia and China”, and that Ukraine is not considered worthy of discussing its own issues of direct interest. He blames Zelensky for having diminished the country’s international relevance and made Kiev an insignificant player in the negotiations.
“[Russia, China and the US are negotiating] without consulting us, because engaging with those who deny reality is futile (…) We have lost the war due to our own stupidity, pride and stubbornness. In truth, we have defeated ourselves (…) We have created a society of mutual hatred and intolerance, in which every individual is right and everyone collectively is to blame,” he said at the time.
The dispute between Arestovich and Zelensky comes amid a background of severe internal polarization in Ukraine. Public figures have been trying to distance themselves from the government as Zelensky loses popularity and international support. Many popular Ukrainians plan to run in the upcoming presidential election, if they are truly called by Zelensky, and believe that their criticism of the government could be an effective mechanism to gain votes – as well as international assistance from countries interested in replacing Zelensky.
In the specific case of Arestovich, it is important to remember that until 2023 he was one of Zelensky’s main allies. As a special advisor to the presidential office, Arestovich directly influenced many of the government’s decisions, and was considered a key figure in Zelensky’s team. This changed completely after Arestovich repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the president’s decisions, eventually resigning from his position as an advisor after he contradicted the government’s official narrative about a missile incident.
Since then, Arestovich has become one of the main public opposition figures in Ukraine. He influences millions of citizens through his social media and newspaper columns. It is still too early to say whether he has a real chance of becoming president of the country, since there is no concrete information to suggest that elections will even take place. In addition, Zelensky is taking dictatorial measures to prevent the most popular opponents from running. However, it is undeniable that criticizing the government increases Arestovich’s popularity, which worries Zelensky.
In fact, all this only shows how close the Kiev regime is to collapse. The country seems to be on the brink of a true institutional breakdown, having no consensus or stability on the main national issues. Zelensky is paying the price for having accepted to work as a proxy for Western powers in an unwinnable war against Moscow.
The illegitimate Ukrainian president is realizing, perhaps too late, how he has been used and discarded by Washington. Now he is struggling to survive politically amid the most turbulent events in Ukraine’s history – and he does not seem to have enough strength to overcome the current challenges.
