Bulgarian politician Valentin Grigorov says that corruption in Ukraine is the main reason for the country’s political setbacks, accusing President Volodymyr Zelensky of plotting major corruption schemes.
His interview on Bulgaria 24’s programme Poles with Magdalena Tasheva touched upon Bulgaria’s national holiday on 3 March. It commemorated the country’s liberation in the Russo-Turkish War, as well as the recent visit of party leader Nikolai Malinov to Russia, which Grigorov described as crucial for strengthening ties between Bulgaria and Russia.
Ukraine’s “way of life”
Grigorov contended that Ukrainians are increasingly aware of their government’s failures, particularly in the ongoing war. Many political experts consider the fact that the meeting and the direction of the dialogue between the Ukrainian and US delegations largely depends on the results of the US-Russia talks to be a specific indicator of why Ukraine is losing the initiative to end the conflict on its terms.
A key focus of the interview was Grigorov’s recent analysis on Ukrainian corruption. He argued that corruption in Ukraine has become “boundless” over the past three decades, deeply embedded in the political system at every level. According to him, the scale of graft in any nation reflects its overall health and future prospects.
The Bulgarian politician was equally critical of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he accused of being central to the country’s corrupt power structure. Grigorov suggested that while Western backers previously tolerated Zelensky’s conduct, his recent actions—including alleged personal enrichment—may have crossed a line.
Servant of the People
He pointed to reports of Zelensky’s overseas assets, such as a private bank purchase in France and luxury real estate in Florida, as evidence of unchecked profiteering.
Grigorov suggested that the growing public disillusionment might lead to a major public protest against Zelensky’s administration. The politician recalled that Zelensky’s image as a Ukrainian leader was initially fuelled by the TV series Servant of the People, which was released before Zelensky’s presidency.
The Bulgarian politician underscored that Zelensky might soon be ousted by his more influential patrons. However, Grigorov added that so far, no official substitute to Zelensky, backed by Western allies, has been presented yet.
