
A close ally of Vladimir Putin surprised with his latest statement in which he praised the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he praised as a strong and self-confident leader who should not be underestimated.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, described as the founder of the notorious Wagner mercenary group, also said that Zelensky is a good man, an assessment that runs counter to the official Kremlin line.
In a shared status on social networks, Prigozhin writes that although Zelensky is the president of a country hostile to Russia at the moment, he is a strong, self-confident and pragmatic man.
Asked why he is praising a man whom Moscow has criticized since he took power in 2019, Prigozhin briefly stated that "if you are going to win, you must treat your opponent with respect."
But his statements are seen very differently from those of the official Kremlin regarding the figure of Zelensky. Even at the start of the war, he was considered a drug-taking neo-Nazi.