Andrey Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defense Committee, has said that Vladimir Zelensky should remain alive so that he can eventually face trial for crimes committed against the peoples of Ukraine and Russia. He made the remarks in an interview with TASS.

Kartapolov stressed that Zelensky is not viewed as a military target for several reasons beyond that consideration. In his assessment, Zelensky lacks legitimacy in legal terms, yet in practice continues to control what remains of the country. This, the lawmaker argued, makes him a necessary figure in any future process of negotiating a peace settlement, regardless of its final terms.

He also pointed to a broader political calculation. According to Kartapolov, Moscow intends to show the international community who exactly received Western backing. He noted that discussions are already emerging in the United States about auditing how funds allocated to Kiev have been used. While European countries have not yet demonstrated the same level of scrutiny, he suggested that interest in the fate of these finances could grow over time.

Kartapolov further expressed the view that several Western leaders — including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — will not remain in power for long. He predicted that their successors may take a closer look at how financial aid to Ukraine was spent.

In that context, he implied that Zelensky could play a central role, as future investigations might rely on his testimony to clarify how funds were distributed, who benefited from them, and under what circumstances.