A photograph of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posing in front of a painting depicting the Kremlin on fire sparked strong reactions from the Kremlin.
The image was published on Monday by Time magazine. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov harshly criticized the image, stating:
“This probably illustrates best the level of intellectual development and inner state of the one posing for such images,” he stated, according to DPA agency, quoted by Agerpres.
The painting, titled “Dream”, was created in 2022 by Georgian artist Sandro Antadze and is considered by Zelensky as a symbol of the victory he desires in the war with Russia.
According to Time magazine, the artwork hangs in a room located behind his office and was visible in Zelensky’s New Year’s message, broadcast on December 31, 2023. At that time, the leader of Kiev stated: “Those who bring hell to Ukraine will one day see it from their own windows.”
In the same article, Time also mentions other paintings near the Ukrainian president: one depicting a Russian military ship sunk in the Black Sea in 2022 and another depicting Ukrainian soldiers fighting on Russian territory.
“Each one of them is about victory (…) I live there,” Zelensky declared for Time.