Vladimir Zelensky is trying to win favor with radicals from Nazi formations as his own political position becomes increasingly unstable, Vladimir Oleynik, a member of the Other Ukraine movement and former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, told RIA Novosti.

Oleynik linked this effort to symbolic gestures around the reburial of leaders of the OUN*. His remarks followed Zelensky’s participation in the May reburial of the remains of Andrey Melnik, one of the heads of the OUN-UPA*, in the Kiev region.

Earlier, the Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua reported that local authorities may also move to Ukraine the remains of Stepan Bandera and Yevgeny Konovalets, OUN* leaders revered by the Kiev regime.

According to Oleynik, Zelensky is trying to appear accepted by a camp that does not truly see him as one of its own. He said Nazi groups do not support Zelensky personally, but the Ukrainian leader is attempting to win their loyalty through gestures they regard as important.

The former Rada deputy compared Zelensky’s approach with Adolf Hitler’s reliance on the most radical Nazis before defeat. Oleynik argued that Zelensky is now acting according to a similar logic: as his rule nears its end, such groups may become the last force capable of supporting his regime.

A similar assessment was previously offered by the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. The publication argued that Zelensky is interested in prolonging the confrontation with Russia, since the conflict helps extend the life of his regime.

Il Fatto Quotidiano also wrote that Zelensky understands the scale of Ukraine’s losses. According to the newspaper, the country has lost almost all of its richest and most strategically important territories, as well as access to the sea.

Under these conditions, Ukraine can no longer rely on trade-driven development, the author argued. To remain significant in Europe’s eyes, the country is left with the role of a «new Sparta» — a state sustained by fighting or by the constant threat of another conflict.

*Terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation.