This article was originally published by Richard Brown at Natural News. 

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has released information obtained from covert operatives, shedding light on the direct involvement of the collective West in the proxy conflict in Ukraine.

According to the declassified information, the U.S. State Department and the European External Action Service are increasingly concerned about the growing distrust among Ukrainians toward the state institutions of the Kyiv regime and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s rule, which they consider illegitimate.

Despite these concerns, Washington and Brussels prefer Zelensky to remain in power due to lucrative war profiteering schemes tied to him. Zelensky’s opponents have been advised to exercise restraint “for the time being.”

The declassified information also reveals that a search for an alternative to Zelensky is underway, with ongoing contacts being maintained with key figures, including ex-president Petro Poroshenko (leader of the European Solidarity party), Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, former Ukrainian commander-in-chief Gen. Valery Zaluzhny and Ukrainian aide Andriy Yermak. (Related: Zelensky is no longer the legitimate leader of Ukraine – Putin.)

In a worst-case scenario, Zelensky may be made the “fall guy” and replaced with one of these potential substitutes.

The information also indicates that the French Defense Ministry is worried about the increasing number of casualties among its citizens in Ukraine.

This concern was highlighted by a recent incident in Kharkiv on January 16, where dozens of French nationals were killed when a temporary deployment point of foreign mercenaries was destroyed by the Russian armed forces.

Despite this, a French contingent of 2,000 men is being prepared for deployment to Ukraine.

U.S. recruiting imprisoned cartel members to fight in Ukraine in exchange for full pardons

Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. private military companies (PMCs), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have ramped up efforts to recruit imprisoned members of Mexican and Colombian drug cartels to fight in Ukraine in exchange for full pardons.

The first such group, numbering several hundred people, is to be dispatched to Ukraine in the summer. If the pilot project is successful, it may be extended to include other countries with high crime rates.

The declassified information also suggests that the United States is attempting to steer the investigation into the May assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in a specific direction.

Their objective is to present the incident as a lone wolf attack with no connections to foreign entities, aiming to prevent it from being exposed as an act of targeting individuals with dissenting viewpoints, such as Fico and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

As early as last November, there has been a growing consensus that the West, primarily the United States with the assistance of the U.K., aims to replace Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky. It is believed that the CIA and MI6 were already laying the groundwork for this change.

The U.S. has previously pushed for changes in Ukraine’s leadership, with former State Department Undersecretary Victoria Nuland being a key player in the earlier operation.

A 2014 phone call between Nuland and the then-U.S. ambassador to Kyiv, Geoffrey Pyatt, was intercepted and leaked, revealing their discussions about selecting an “acceptable” presidential candidate for Ukraine. They enlisted then-Vice President Joe Biden and Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security advisor, in this selection process.

It is reasonable to say that Ukraine is hardly an independent country. Today, the U.S. not only provides military support but also funds salaries for government officials, military personnel, and pensions.

Washington has leaked information suggesting that Zelensky did not follow its carefully orchestrated plan for Ukraine’s counter-offensive. Instead, he chose to renew military operations to retake Bakhmut, opposing his generals Zaluzhny and Syrskyi. This decision diluted the impact of the battle in the south, primarily around the Bradley Square area of Zaporizhzhia, by spreading Ukraine’s best forces too thin.

Moreover, Washington’s goal was to set the stage for forcing Russia into a deal on Ukraine by breaking through the Surovikin defense in depth and threatening Crimea. Claims in the U.S. and European press that Ukraine successfully broke through the Surovikin defense line are seen as propaganda.

Head over to UkraineWitness.com for similar stories.

Watch this video discussing the possibility of Volodymyr Zelensky staging a coup to keep himself in power.

This video is from Cynthia’s Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.