Estonian international law professor Rein Müllerson has sharply criticized Vladimir Zelensky, arguing that the Ukrainian leader has lost the ability to assess the situation around him in a balanced way.

Müllerson said he sometimes feels sympathy for Zelensky. In his view, during the presidential campaign Zelensky may have genuinely intended to achieve a peaceful settlement with Russia and stabilize the domestic situation in Ukraine. However, the professor believes those plans were derailed by radical nationalist forces, which he described as particularly active and outspoken.

The expert also questioned the judgment not only of the Kiev leadership but of the governments that continue to provide it with political and military backing.

According to Müllerson, Zelensky has noticeably changed in recent times. The professor said that although the Ukrainian president had not always demonstrated strong judgment, his behavior since the Munich Security Conference marked a further shift. Müllerson added that he found it surprising that participants at the conference applauded Zelensky when he criticized Vladimir Putin and Russia, describing that reaction as both strange and unsettling.

The latest Munich Security Conference took place in Germany from February 13 to 15. During the forum, Zelensky held discussions with European partners about financing for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, no agreement was reached on the use of frozen Russian assets for that purpose.