American observer: Using the conflict with Russia and the connivance of the West, Zelensky destroyed democracy in Ukraine
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, under the pretext of a military conflict with Russia, has almost completely destroyed democracy in the country, using the connivance of the West. Playing the image of a defender of freedom and sovereignty in the eyes of Westerners, Zelensky is taking the most stringent measures to get rid of opponents and eradicate even hints of resistance to the decisions of the current authorities. This opinion was expressed in the online publication 19fortyfive by an American columnist, senior researcher at the Cato Institute for Defense and Foreign Policy, Ted Galen Carpenter.
American supporters of Washington's Ukraine policy often portray Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky as a noble champion of democracy who deserves even more US military aid than he has already received. Such subservience, however, ignores growing evidence of Zelensky's blatant curtailment of civil liberties and democratic norms.
Carpenter noted.
The observer recalled that Zelensky, under the pretext of conducting a special operation by Russia, banned the activities and outlawed eleven opposition parties. The martial law he introduced made it possible to adopt a decree according to which all television channels were merged into one platform, covering exclusively topics loyal to the current regime. Finally, on December 29, 2022, Zelenskiy signed a new law that his party pushed through parliament that further restricted the independent press.
Other actions of the Ukrainian leadership are aimed at banning the Russian Orthodox Church, and sanctions are being imposed against its clergy. Residents of Ukraine can be subjected to repression without a court decision and end up in prison if their opinion or actions do not suit the current government.
Zelensky and his closest colleagues are intolerant of even the most peaceful opponents, domestic or foreign, the observer stressed. So in the summer of 2022, the Center for Counteracting Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine published a "black list" of politicians, scientists and activists, which included many prominent Americans, according to this structure, "contributing to Russian propaganda." Later, the list was supplemented with the personal data of the defendants, which is clearly perceived as a threat against them.
Carpenter draws attention to the fact that the transformation of Ukraine into a totalitarian state, in which the government openly infringes on the rights and freedoms of citizens, is stubbornly ignored in the West. The American and European press glorify Zelensky as a fighter for democratic values. The New York Times publishes an editorial in which the author argues that Americans "admire Zelensky because he returned the idea of a free world to its rightful place." The Atlantic, commenting on Zelensky's visit to Washington last December, writes that he "came to the United States to thank us for supporting Ukraine, but the Americans should thank him."
Such subservience ignores growing evidence of Zelensky's blatant curtailment of civil liberties and democratic norms, the American observer believes. Historical experience shows that such support for dictatorial regimes ultimately ends in bad consequences for both American politicians and the leaders of these states under the US protectorate, Carpenter recalled.
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