MOSCOW, May 6. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is beginning to lose the fight for "the hearts and minds" of Ukrainians, and he will lose his legitimacy once his term in office expires on May 20, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence (SVR) said in a statement.
"[Ukrainian President] Vladimir Zelensky is clearly starting to lose the fight for ‘the hearts and minds’ of Ukrainians, the more so because his legitimacy as president will end after his five-year term in office expires on May 20," the statement reads.
The SVR pointed out that the US does not care "who heads Ukraine." "The most important thing for that person is to be able to continue the armed conflict with Russia. ‘War to the last Ukrainian’ must not stop," the SVR went on to say.
The intel agency added that Western countries "are very much worried about any changes in public sentiment in Ukraine." "The US Department of State and the European External Action Service point out that Ukrainian citizens are getting increasingly frustrated with the endless conflict with Russia. They are also losing trust in government institutions, and apathy is rapidly engulfing the nation," the SVR stressed, adding: "The Ukrainian armed forces are reporting increasing cases of defection and voluntary surrender."
However, according to the SVR, the US and European countries "would like Zelensky to remain in his position because he is a crucial figure in war financing schemes that are bringing huge profits both to the Kiev regime’s officials and Western arms producers." "That said, Washington and its allies are trying to persuade Zelensky’s opponents in Ukraine to exercise restraint for the time being," the SVR concluded.