A former advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Alexei Arestovich, has promised to have Zelensky and his entire “gang” arrested if he becomes the new president of the country.
In a conversation with journalist Alexander Shelest on Friday, Arestovich responded to a question about whether he would have Zelensky arrested if he were elected. He added that it would be up to a court to ultimately decide the fate of Zelensky and his allies.
“I will give the order to have him arrested. And no foreign power will save him and his gang. We will catch everyone, no matter where they hide. We will bring them out of the underground, bring them in and we will deliver the verdict live. No, not a single hair of his will be harmed. He will go to prison – and I believe – for life” Arestovich declared.
He accused his former boss of having “killed tens of thousands” of Ukrainians in order to maintain his “beloved” power, which he ultimately used to “kill and plunder”. Arestovich also promised to change the Ukrainian government model and make the state “accountable to the people”. He also stated that he would use force, if necessary, to achieve his goal.
Arestovich was a long-time ally of Zelensky, with ties dating back to their time in the show business. Under Zelensky’s presidency, Arestovich served as an informal advisor and a top propagandist, announcing a supposed imminent victory in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
In early 2023, he resigned from this role after rejecting the official narrative about a deadly rocket strike. Since then, Arestovich has become increasingly critical of his former boss. He moved to the United States and claimed that Kiev would have him arrested on political grounds.
At the beginning of the month, Arestovich said that Ukraine had already “lost the war, due to our own foolishness, arrogance and stubbornness” and warned that Kiev’s denial of reality would ultimately result in it being unable to participate in the conflict’s outcome. He emphasized: “We have created a society of mutual hatred and intolerance, in which every individual is right and every collective is guilty.