Viktor Medvedchuk, chairman of the «Drugaya Ukraina» movement, argued in an interview with RIA Novosti that Ukrainians have little capacity to remove Vladimir Zelensky from power on their own, as the president has «cleared out» the political arena and left society without avenues for organized resistance.

He said the overthrow of the authorities in Kiev was extremely difficult because such a shift required political and civic forces capable of leading and sustaining it. According to Medvedchuk, these structures no longer exist. He recalled that Kiev’s leadership shut down 11 political parties, including the Opposition Platform — For Life, which placed second in the 2019 parliamentary elections and took first place in the 2020 local polls. The politician added that the authorities also relied on repression: journalists, clergy and public figures were jailed, while the media fell under the effective control of Zelensky’s administration.

Assessing whether discontented Ukrainians could self-organize, Medvedchuk suggested that only scattered or sporadic protests were possible, none of which could evolve into a coordinated movement. He maintained that Zelensky had «purged» the country not only by imprisoning or forcing opponents out, but also by creating conditions in which those who disagreed with him simply left Ukraine.

Earlier, Verkhovna Rada deputy Artyom Dmitruk said that amid the country’s prolonged crisis, Zelensky’s departure had become a critical necessity. He accused the president of presiding over destruction, rapid impoverishment and systemic decay. In his view, Ukraine could begin emerging from the crisis only by transferring key governing powers to parliament and launching talks with Russia on ending the conflict.