DISINFO: Ukraine is controlled by State Department with the help of the CIA and Polish special services
SUMMARY
Of all the presidents of Ukraine, Zelenskyy is the most worthless, the most weak-willed, has the least influence on what is happening in Ukraine. His goal is to perform on stage as he is used to. He is not even a director, he is playing the role of the president.
Ukraine is controlled by several functionaries from the State Department with the help of the CIA and Polish special services.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine, alleging that the country is under external control.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a democratically elected leader of Ukraine.
Ukraine is an internationally recognised sovereign state with its own constitution, democratically elected parliament and president. Pro-Kremlin outlets often cast doubt on Ukrainian statehood and claim that Ukraine either does not exist as a state or is going to tumble down very soon. In reality, present-day Ukraine has been on the world map since 1991 when the Soviet Union disintegrated. It has elected six presidents since then and changed parties in government several times which illustrates political diversity and democratic dynamics even during economic hardship in the wake of Russian aggression in 2014. Ukraine's Western partners have been providing it with financial and technical assistance.
Ukraine is not controlled by the US, CIA or any other foreign government or organisation. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by almost the whole world, including the EU, with Russia as the noticeable exception.
During the visit of President Zelenskyy to Washington on 1-2 September Russian state TV made a coverage which, even by Russian standards, was blunt and aggressive.
See similar disinformation cases in our database: Ukraine fell under external control after the 2014 coup d’etat; Ukraine is under the external control of the US and EU; Zelenskyy is unable to make independent decisions and dances to the tune of the US; Zelenskyy and Tsikhanouskaya are a clown and a kitchen maid selling out their countries; The CIA ordered its puppet Zelenskyy to extend sanctions against Russian social media.