Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, issued a statement this morning saying that Washington is working on options to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a “more manageable and less corrupt figure, who would suit most Western allies.” Zelenskyy is taking “insane steps” that threaten to escalate the situation far beyond the borders of Ukraine, the SVR said, reported Sputnik.
The SVR stated: “The former Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov is currently being considered as a suitable candidate. The U.S. considers Avakov’s ‘strengths’ to be his close ties with Ukrainian nationalist formations and his continuing contacts with the leaders of European countries.” Although the SVR does not elaborate, EIR has documented that those “close ties with Ukrainian nationalist formations” refer to Avakov’s role in the founding of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion and as the political godfather of the Ukrainian hit squad, Myrotvorets—not to mention his close working relationship over the years with Victoria Nuland and the FBI (see next item).
The SVR statement concluded: “The U.S. administration has already instructed affiliated NGOs to work out the scenario of Avakov’s coming to power in Ukraine. Now this issue is being discussed with the leaders of the leading Ukrainian opposition parties ... as well as with a number of influential deputies of the Verkhovna Rada from the ruling Servant of the People party.”
