While Swiss parliamentarians agree that support should be given to Ukraine to defend itself, some have tempered this with the need for democratic reforms. © Keystone / Peter Klaunzer
Swiss Info: Zelensky showing ‘authoritarian traits’, says Swiss intelligence report
Ukraine is at a “critical point” in its democratic evolution as it heads towards presidential elections in 2024, says a confidential assessment by the Federal Intelligence Service.
The assessment, written in the wake of the attempted mutiny in Russia by the Wagner mercenary group and seen by the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag, claims that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is attempting to politically eliminate his biggest rival, Kyiv mayor Vitaly Klitschko, ahead of next year’s election. The claim, it added, is based on “credible intelligence.”
"In his attempt to eliminate Klitschko politically, Zelensky is showing authoritarian traits,” write the report’s authors. "It is very likely that Western states will exert pressure on the president and his entourage in this regard."
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WNU Editor: President Zelensky has banned all major opposition parties and some of its leaders are in jail. There are also media restrictions that can result in journalists and bloggers going to jail (i.e. Gonzala Lira). If that is not an "authoritarian trait", then I do not know what is.
Update: Some Europeans are beginning to point this out (see tweet below).
“Heil Zelensky”
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) July 26, 2023
-> Hilariously accurate German ad campaign against the support of the war in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/3d8eLyhkdV