Zelenskyy scandal with the Ukrainian journalists

President Zelensky: “The United States and everyone else knows this. Oleg Tatarov, together with Vasyl Malyuk, killed Chechens in Ukraine, in Kyiv, before you were here. Is that not enough? Should I fire him so that the Russians can kill him?”

This statement by Zelensky in response to a question from Ukrainska Pravda journalist Roman Kravets caused a major stir online today.

This press conference is a clear failure for the president’s communications team. The president allowed himself to be openly RUDE not only to the journalist but to the entire Ukrainska Pravda editorial staff.

Particularly strange was the president’s accusation against Ukrainska Pravda that they don’t see the “positive” efforts of his team “towards the European Union.”

And this is directed at the only editorial office in Ukraine that has a DEDICATED publication on European integration!

Dear Mr. President, the very people you so eagerly defend—Tatarov and his associates—are precisely the ones obstructing society from witnessing rapid European integration.

Here are just a few instances where Tatarov and his team have blatantly embarrassed both you and Ukraine in front of the EU and the world:

1) When Tatarov and his team allowed DOZENS of individuals accused of corruption and treason to leave the country. The most recent example was MP Dmytruk, just a few days ago.

2) When Tatarov and his team prevented the full repeal of the “Lozovyi amendments,” which protect corrupt individuals. By the way, what about your response to the petition on this?

3) When Tatarov and his team pushed (and continue to push) a bill that allows corrupt individuals to buy their way out of prison.

4) When Tatarov and his team stalled the reform of the Economic Security Bureau (BEB), wanting to keep their “feeding trough.” They are still trying to do this through their handpicked people on the commission.

5) When Tatarov and his team attempted to transfer TOP corruption cases to the SBU under the guise of “equating corruption with treason,” so they could easily protect their own.

And all of this happened just in the past year.

But you, Mr. President, as you’ve said, “don’t notice” any of this. Just as you didn’t notice the corruption charges against Tatarov.

Instead, you accuse JOURNALISTS of having “scripts.” This is beyond belief…

Vitaliy Shannon, Anti-Corruption Center

Tags: Ukraine Ukraine government Volodymyr Zelenskyy