Zelensky's former Right-Hand Man: He is Personally Responsible for the Failure of the Counteroffensive, We must Leave Crimea to Putin

The former adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, Oleksii Arestovych, issued severe criticism of President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he blamed personally for the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

In an interview with Meduza, Arestovych, now accused of being a Russian agent by the authorities in Kyiv, announced his intention to run for the presidency of Ukraine whenever elections are held and said that Crimea and other Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories must now be left to the Russians until there is a change of power in the Kremlin.

"We can say that on March 31 the mandate of the president [of Ukraine Zelensky] expires. And there must be another election. Any postponement of the presidential elections will be considered a usurpation of power in Ukrainian society. Also, 2024 is a very specific year. The Russian presidential election in March, the US presidential election in November and the European Parliament elections. Thus, all our main partners and enemies will be re-legitimized in 2024, and the Ukrainian government, if it does not hold elections, will not be re-legitimized," Arestovych said.

Zelensky's former adviser said he was being repressed and persecuted by the current authorities in Kyiv, which accuse him of openly working for Vladimir Putin. "Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov, who reports directly to Zelensky, said that I am a Russian spy, I am acting in Russian interests, and law enforcement agencies are interested in me. I believe that there is political pressure on me for my oppositional position," Arestovych said.

He is currently abroad, where he says he is giving lectures, but he is adamant about his desire to participate in the...