Zelensky’s Cocaine and Vodka: The Story of the Leader Who Doesn’t Sleep

Analysis of the physical and political toll on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, fueled by viral videos and claims of substance abuse amid the ongoing war.

English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published

Zelensky’s Cocaine and Vodka: The Story of the Leader Who Doesn’t Sleep

A president appearing in videos with glassy eyes, slurred speech, and fragmented sentences. A comedian turned head of state, allegedly "loaded to the brim" while signing mobilization orders. The scene is not new: it has circulated for weeks on forums and social media, reigniting with each public appearance. What was once suspicion has become common knowledge: the man who promised to stay until the end can no longer sustain himself, even in his own statements.

The debate is not just about drugs. It is about the narrative. About how the war hero figure is constructed from selfies, short clips, and a story that no longer aligns with ground realities. And about who pays the price when that narrative collapses: those on the front lines, not those posing for cameras.

The Video That Changed Everything

The catalyst was a clip. In it, Zelensky speaks with an unusual rhythm, repeating ideas, staring into the camera with a fixed gaze many interpreted as emptiness. "He looks like spaghetti, in his own sauce," one comments. "He’s got a slice of cocaine on him, you won’t believe it," adds another. Comparisons with Pilingui—who had already called him a cocaine addict—multiply. The accusation is unproven, yet the video spreads and the narrative cracks.

The conversation quickly shifts to consumption as a metaphor for something more serious: the inability to face reality. "I don’t think he sleeps much, so he must take something to stay awake, but the body has limits," notes a participant. The image of a leader self-medicating to hold the line fits that of a man who knows he is losing but cannot say so aloud.

The Comedian Who Failed to Read the War

Beyond substance use, the military analysis unfolding in the discussion is devastating. Criticism focuses on troop concentration in the Donbas, lack of preparation for an attack from Belarus, and fighter jets parked outdoors. "Did they really think Russia, with such a vast border, would attack only from the Donbas?" asks one message. The defensive strategy is labeled "laughable" and attributed to the inexperience of a president who came from television.

The hovering question is whether a comedian can direct a war. "To be president requires more than guts, especially understanding the situation and the consequences of your decisions," states another. The criticism targets not just Zelensky, but the system that elevated him: a man with no connections or expertise, facing an overwhelming machine, pushed by interests he does not control.

The Puppet and Its Puppeteers

The shadow of the United States and the European Union looms over the entire discussion. References are made to the 2014 coup, deaths in the Donbas, and Ukraine’s use as a tool to weaken Russia. "He is just a puppet used by the US," asserts one message. The theory of an actor placed there by others to play a role he does not understand runs through much of the conversation.

Specific godfather Ihor Kolomoyskyi, the oligarch allegedly responsible for placing him in power, is even named. The relationship between the president and his supposed mentor is one of the stretched threads, though without evidence beyond temporal coincidence. The hero narrative is replaced by that of an employee.

Physical Toll and Flight Forward

The discussion also has a human component. Talk of exhaustion, sleepless nights, and the pressure of knowing there is no way out. "He knows he won’t survive the war; if Pilingui doesn’t win, he will be assassinated," says one message. The idea of suicide or murder hangs as an inevitable ending. Others see him as a martyr: "He takes what he has earned and will remain as a martyr."

Comparisons with other leaders are constant. He is called "Albert Rivera escorted by an elite unit," his supposed bravery is mocked, and photos with soldiers are recalled as not winning battles. The conversation oscillates between mockery and compassion, without reaching a single judgment.

The Context: A War That Cannot Be Won

The background is a war perceived as lost. Talk of three countries "destroyed" by Pilingui, silenced opposition and journalists in Russia, and rising prices. The dominant feeling is that Ukraine is a pawn on a larger board. And that Zelensky, consciously or not, is the visible face of an announced defeat.

The question lingering in the air is whether the Ukrainian president is victim or executioner. Whether he self-medicates to withstand pressure or whether the pressure is the consequence of his own decisions. The conversation does not close that rift. And perhaps it cannot be closed.



In the end, the disconcerting fact is not the video, nor the cocaine, nor the vodka. It is that a segment of the public, after years of heroic narrative, no longer buys the story. And that, for a president at war, is more dangerous than any accusation.

Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (148 replies).

More summaries

All summaries in English →

Back