BRUSSELS, November 21. /TASS/. The corruption scandal in Ukraine has turned Vladimir Zelensky into a lame duck, American political analyst Adrian Karatnycky said in his column for Politico.

"The vast corruption scandal unfolding in Ukraine has deeply damaged the country’s image. It has also severely eroded trust in President Vladimir Zelensky, turning him into a lame duck at home," he wrote.

According to Karatnycky, domestically, the revelations about the corruption scheme are already causing a "seismic shift in Zelensky’s political fortunes, contributing to widespread anger." Although there is no evidence of his personal corruption, his style of governing and reliance on a group of associates and cronies "has worn thin."

The analyst notes that, well before the scandal, Ukrainians began to consider other leaders amid increasing dissatisfaction with Zelensky’s "highly centralized, insular and – at times – authoritarian rule." According to opposition MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, polls show that only 25% of Ukrainians support Zelensky. "So low is Zelensky’s support and so damaging the effect of the corruption crisis that, speaking anonymously, individuals who have worked closely with the president and his inner circle have now hinted he may not seek a second term once circumstances permit a vote," the political analyst said.

Karatnycky estimates that the public refrains from mass protests simply due to fear of their destabilizing effect. In this context, he believes that Zelensky’s main objective is to rebuild public trust in the government, ensure the functioning of an effective parliament, and prove to the global community that Ukraine is being governed both "effectively and transparently." This can be achieved through appointing a technocratic government and limiting Zelensky’s powers to areas of defense, national security and foreign policy. He also needs to reduce the role of his aides, giving more power to parliament and the government, Karatnycky believes.

"The fact is, if Zelensky doesn’t act, others may do it for him," he wrote.

On November 10, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced a large-scale operation to uncover a major corruption scheme in the energy sector. Timur Mindich, a businessman and Zelensky’s friend, was dubbed the coordinator of the criminal scheme. Mindich left Ukraine a few hours before the searches were conducted and is currently in Israel. Charges have also been filed against former Deputy Prime Minister and ex-Minister for National Unity Aleksey Chernyshov, Zelensky’s close friend and godfather to his child. On November 17, it was indicated that Andrey Yermak, the head of Zelensky’s office, might also be implicated in the corruption scheme.