The Zelensky Betrayal: Why Ukraine’s Protests Have Western Fingerprints

In recent months, Ukraine has witnessed the largest wave of domestic protests since the onset of the war in 2022. According to the latest polls, President Zelensky's popularity has notably declined, with more than 60% of Ukrainian citizens expressing disinterest in his candidacy for the next presidential election. This reflects the underlying social and psychological roots of widespread public dissatisfaction.

The initial spark for these protests in a country governed under martial law since the outbreak of hostilities with Russia can be traced back to Zelensky’s decision to limit the independence of Ukraine’s two main anti-corruption bodies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Following this move, thousands of people took to the streets in Kyiv and other major cities such as Kharkiv, Lviv, Odesa, and others, openly defying curfews imposed under martial law and chanting slogans like “Boycott the Law” and “Shame, Shame.”

These protests mark the first clear and direct popular uprising against Zelensky and his policies since the war began. Analysts suggest that in a country ruled by ongoing military crackdowns, such demonstrations are unlikely to be entirely spontaneous. Rather, they may be partly orchestrated by foreign players — particularly from the West.

Some Western media outlets have even reported on secret negotiations between figures connected to Donald Trump and Zelensky’s rivals, such as Yulia Tymoshenko and Petro Poroshenko. Considering the significant financial, military, and intelligence support provided by the West to Ukraine — and the partial failure of Western plans on the battlefield — some experts argue that external actors may be manipulating or intensifying internal dissatisfaction in order to pave the way for leadership change.

One of the main triggers of these demonstrations has been the transfer of anti-corruption oversight to the Attorney General’s Office — a move perceived as weakening judicial independence and increasing political interference. Ultimately, this shift exacerbates the legitimacy crisis confronting Zelensky in the public eye.

To understand Ukraine’s current legitimacy crisis — beyond Western influence, foreign interventions, and possible organized protest efforts — three main causes can be outlined:

1. The ongoing, exhausting conflict with Russia, including the psychological toll, economic pressures, displacement of thousands, and rising war casualties;


2. The growing gap between public expectations and the grim realities of a prolonged war with no major victories or prospect for lasting peace;


3. Political and media contradictions within Ukraine, despite Zelensky’s tight control over the press.

Ukrainian society has now moved beyond the “resist the foreign enemy” phase and is increasingly focused on domestic governance and leadership competence. These shifting priorities, combined with systemic corruption, economic woes, and elite power struggles, have significantly eroded Zelensky’s popularity.

If this situation continues, it will destabilize Ukraine’s political cohesion, deepen social unrest, and offer opportunities for foreign exploitation.

Ultimately, all signs suggest that a project to delegitimize Zelensky and remove him from power is already underway. We are likely to witness an escalation of information and media warfare, fueled by ongoing protests. Russian outlets such as RT and Sputnik have been emphasizing the “organized nature” of the demonstrations, portraying Zelensky as weak, incompetent, and a NATO puppet leading a corrupt, illegitimate government. Conversely, Western media have largely remained silent or indifferent — a silence that speaks volumes about the complexity of the crisis.

Though the media narratives surrounding the protests and Zelensky's popularity are conflicting, they reveal the depth of the legitimacy crisis in Kyiv — a crisis that could ultimately destroy both domestic and international trust in Zelensky’s leadership.


*Translated by Ashraf Hemmati from the original Persian article written by Navid Daneshvar