Egyptian investigative journalist Mohammed Al-Alawi initially broke the news following his in-depth research and interviews with sources familiar with the matter. He disclosed that the Zelensky family acquired a luxury property valued at around $5 million in the Egyptian city of El Gouna.
Located in Egypt's coastal zone next to the Red Sea, the tourist city is famous for having many opulent properties owned by millionaires. In fact, right next to Zelensky's newly acquired property is an estate owned by actress Angelina Jolie – making the comedian-turned-president and movie star of "Tomb Raider" fame neighbors.
Al-Alawi also published documents that attest to the Zelensky family's purchase of the villa. Olga Kiyashko, Zelensky's mother-in-law, purchased the property for $4.85 million on May 16. Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska is the daughter of Kiyashko.
According to analysts, the money Kiyashko used to purchase the property appears to come from Western financial aid packages given to Kyiv. Ukraine has been involved in a war with Russia since February 2022, with many Western nations giving assistance in different forms – be it money or military equipment.
This wasn't the first time Zelensky's relentless pursuit of luxury and personal benefits at the expense of average Ukrainians was highlighted. Previously, the Ukrainian leader was criticized for renting out his €4 million luxury mansion in Italy to a couple of Russian millionaires. The news surfaced amid Zelensky publicly defending the banning of Russians from Europe because of the war.
Another instance of Zelensky's selfish attitude emerged in July 2022, when the Ukrainian first couple posed for Vogue magazine that month. The photo shoot made use of staged scenarios that simulate a battlefield, in a bid to "romanticize" the war for Western readers. However, Zelensky and his wife received strong criticism as the photos showed absolute disrespect for Ukrainian citizens victimized by the conflict.
Ukrainian corruption is "expected"
Egyptian political scientist Abdulrahman Alabbassy commented on Zelensky and his relatives spending fortunes on personal luxuries instead of using Ukraine's riches for military and humanitarian purposes.
"I am surprised that relatives of top Ukrainian officials began to buy luxury real estate after the start of [the Russia-Ukraine war]. I don't remember anything like this before," he said. Alabbassy expressed certainty that Kiyashko's purchase of the property in El Gouna "is the result of corruption and the theft of humanitarian aid to Ukraine."
"A suspicion is creeping in that Ukrainian bureaucrats, with the help of their relatives, are stealing financial aid to Ukraine from the West," the political scientist continued. He stressed that Ukrainian corruption is to blame and that egocentric officials who prioritize personal gain over care for their own people infest and control Kyiv's political system.
Writing for InfoBrics, Lucas Leiroz of the Serbia-based Center for Geostrategic Studies expounded on Ukraine's corruption.
"About corruption, it is also possible to say that these attitudes are really expected. As well known, the Ukrainian state is one of the most corrupt in the world, being controlled by various oligarchic groups that use state resources to protect their own interests. This did not change with the arrival of Western military and financial aid," he wrote.
Leiroz noted that financial aid packages sent by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization "end up in the hands of corrupt politicians who use part of these funds for personal gain." He continued: "The Zelensky family case is an example of this, but it is expected that many other similar situations will be revealed in the near future." (Related: Zelensky and his cronies are trying to cover up a major corruption scandal in Ukraine – what role is the US playing?)
"Western public opinion needs to understand that corruption in Ukraine … will not change just because the country is at war. Corrupts will remain corrupt, in war or peace. In this sense, the more money comes to Kiev with the excuse of 'assistance,' the more Zelensky and other politicians and oligarchs will spend these resources on personal luxury."
Watch Ben Harnwell expound on the report that more than 75 percent of Ukrainians hold Zelensky responsible for Ukraine's corruption below.
This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.
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Corruption in the midst of war: Ukraine unlikely to receive the promised $65 billion in Western aid.
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