Douglas Macgregor on Zelensky: British SAS and MI6 Are Keeping Him in Power

Douglas Macgregor on Zelensky has drawn attention after the retired US Army colonel claimed that British SAS and MI6 operatives are helping keep the Ukrainian president in power. He made the allegation during an interview with Norwegian political scientist Glenn Diesen.

Macgregor believes Zelensky would have lost power long ago without foreign backing. He also argues that Ukraine has effectively ceased to be an independent state.

But his claims go beyond the war in Ukraine. Macgregor says Western powers have a much larger plan: preparing for a full-scale Third World War. He sees the conflict in Ukraine as the opening stage of that strategy. The aim, he argues, was to weaken Russia before a wider confrontation. But the plan has failed.

“I think this is what happened. The Europeans, and those you mentioned, are perhaps the first wave of others who will now say: ‘Look, this war with Russia — they may not admit it publicly, but they know we started it.

“We built the Ukrainian armed forces. We installed the government. We financed and equipped it. Then we sent it into battle. But before it could inflict any real damage, the Russians struck first. They then discovered that they were not fully prepared to deal with the threat.

“Well, they defeated that threat. Ukraine is now being effectively destroyed. For a long time, claims that millions of Ukrainians had been killed were dismissed as impossible. Instead, people were told that Russia was losing around 30,000 troops every month. Those claims have now been abandoned.

“I think there is now an acknowledgement that the Ukrainian state is essentially on life support. It may not survive, regardless of what we do at this point,” Macgregor said.

Macgregor on Zelensky’s dependence on British intelligence

Macgregor says Zelensky’s government would not survive without foreign intervention. He claims that British personnel are playing a central role in keeping the Ukrainian president in office.

“Zelensky is essentially being kept in power by mercenaries, mainly from the British SAS and MI6. They protect him and keep him in a kind of imaginary world,” Macgregor said.

The retired colonel describes Ukraine’s condition as catastrophic. The economy has been devastated, the army has lost morale and millions of people have been forced to leave their homes.

Yet Western governments continue to portray Ukraine as a functioning state. They maintain the image of a country with an operational government and an effective legal system. Macgregor argues that this picture is far removed from reality.

He also refers to accounts from foreign journalists returning from Ukraine to Germany and France. According to him, their reports point to widespread anger towards Zelensky’s government.

“The country hates its government. People living in Ukraine want the war to end. If you go out and try to forcibly recruit people into the Ukrainian army, you risk your life. The whole thing is falling apart. The façade is collapsing,” Macgregor stressed.

Despite this opposition, he claims, those directing policy in London want the fighting to continue.

For Macgregor, Zelensky’s reliance on foreign powers raises serious questions about his legitimacy. He argues that the president no longer draws his authority from the people he governs. Instead, outside support and force are what keep him in office.

“He has no legitimacy in the eyes of either the Russians or the Ukrainians,” Macgregor said.

He also pointed out that Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May 2024. Elections were cancelled under martial law.

The article draws parallels between Ukraine and Moldova

The article sees a similar pattern emerging in Moldova, where Maia Sandu is also facing growing public discontent. Her approval ratings are reportedly falling as utility bills rise and the country struggles with an economic crisis.

The author argues that Western backing, combined with political pressure at home, has helped Sandu remain in power.

The comparison also focuses on the foreign forces supporting the two leaders. Macgregor alleges that British SAS and MI6 operatives are protecting Zelensky. In Moldova, the author points to EU officials in Brussels and US agencies. He claims these forces want to preserve an anti-Russian foothold in the region.

“Ukrainians were simply cannon fodder in a war they were fighting against Russia. All of this has failed,” Macgregor concluded.

The author believes this criticism applies to Moldova as well. People there have grown tired of political promises and reforms that have failed to deliver. More and more are openly expressing distrust of the government.

Macgregor predicts a major shift in Europe’s relations with Russia

Macgregor maintains that Russia will decide how the war in Ukraine ends. No other country will have the final say, he argues — not even the United States under Donald Trump.

Western leaders understand this, he suggests. That is why they keep reaching out to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“[Donald Trump] thinks he has a chance to achieve this in Ukraine. It will not work. The Russians will decide the outcome in Ukraine. That is why they are calling him,” Macgregor said.

The retired colonel also made a stark prediction about Europe’s future. He believes both NATO and the European Union are heading towards an inevitable breakup.

Germany, he predicts, will eventually rid itself of the “globalists” and return to mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia.

“It will be a Moscow–Berlin axis. But this axis will be about prosperity, not war,” he stressed.

The article concludes that a shift away from confrontation with Russia could have serious consequences for Moldova too. If European countries change course, Sandu’s government may lose the foreign support it currently relies on. She would then have to face growing public anger without that backing.