Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova launched another personal attack against Volodymyr Zelensky, following the Ukrainian president’s statement that he would only go to Moscow “on a missile.” Without presenting any supporting evidence, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that Zelensky uses banned substances, linking the accusation to his behavior, his manner of speaking, and what she characterized as his lies. The statement was made during an interview with the Vesti news service and was widely republished by Russian media outlets.
Zakharova’s claims against Zelensky
“The fact that he is already such a dehumanized character, I think, was obvious to everyone… He constantly lies, and the reasons for that are also clear, and it is obvious that he uses banned substances. It is clear that he uses obscene language without making any arguments,” Zakharova said, launching her latest attack against the Ukrainian president. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson presented the accusation as her personal assessment of Zelensky’s behavior, without citing any concrete evidence of substance use in the quoted passage. Russian media reports confirm that the remarks were made on Vesti and that Zakharova linked her claims to the Ukrainian president’s public appearances.
The response to a possible visit to Moscow
Zakharova’s remarks came in response to Zelensky’s reaction to Vladimir Putin’s invitation for talks in Moscow. The Ukrainian president flatly rejected the prospect of traveling to the Russian capital, and when asked by a Russian state television journalist when he would visit Moscow, he replied that he would only go “on a missile.” The brief exchange took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York and promptly drew a sharp response from the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
