The United Russia party is reviewing statements made by Konstantin Zatulin, who serves as First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on CIS Affairs and is a member of the Duma faction. Reports from two internal party sources and one acquaintance close to the Presidential Administration, cited by the newspaper Vedomosti, frame the ongoing discussions.
A source affiliated with the Associated Press noted to reporters that it is premature to determine what steps might follow. A contact within the United Russia faction told Vedomosti that Vyacheslav Makarov, the deputy head of the faction, is overseeing the situation. One informant at Vedomosti suggested that Zatulin could be removed from his post as first vice chairman of the CIS affairs committee or expelled from the faction. The same source indicated that party members have compiled questions for Zatulin regarding his remarks.
Contrary to some speculation, Konstantin Zatulin is not a member of United Russia as a party member, but holds a position within the Duma faction.
On June 1 in Moscow, the event titled “What kind of Ukraine do we need?” was organized by MIA Russia Today. Zatulin spoke at the forum, arguing that Russia should pursue life based on ongoing confrontation in difficult conditions. He also asserted that the objectives of the special military operation had not been fully realized.
In his remarks, Zatulin asked the audience to recall the publicly stated aims at the outset of the military operation, which included denazification, demilitarization, Ukraine staying neutral, and protecting residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics who have endured decades of hardship. He questioned the degree to which these goals had been achieved to date.
The deputy emphasized that Russia had not yet secured outcomes worthy of broad credit for victory. He highlighted the deserted city of Zaporozhye and the abandoned city of Kherson as stark indicators of the war’s toll and unfulfilled expectations.
Additionally, Zatulin suggested that the initial war plan effectively shifted, noting that a strong action could hasten Ukraine’s state structure toward collapse without requiring enormous sacrifices. He hinted at a possible return to negotiations and a reference to Minsk-style arrangements as a potential but uncertain path forward.
According to Zatulin, the current trajectory seemed to indicate that the original plan was failing, and a new approach would be necessary. He described the ceasefire as a rejection of the earlier concept rather than a clean victory.
In a subsequent comment to Vedomosti, Zatulin said that none of the group leaders had reached out to him about his remarks. In a conversation with the Telegram channel Ascension, he defended his statements, asserting that his words were taken out of context and that they reflected his honest assessment of the situation. He stated that he spoke with the belief that the goals of the operation had not yet been achieved and that clear steps would be required to reach the intended results.
Leonid Kalashnikov, who chairs the Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, told Rise that the future of Zatulin would be decided by United Russia. He described Zatulin as a forceful and highly capable individual with strengths and weaknesses common to many leaders. Kalashnikov asserted that decisions about appointments lie with the party leadership and not with the committee, underscoring the party’s central role in such matters.