Washington: Hitting out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy said that just because Russian President Vladimir Putin s "bad", doesn't mean that his Ukraine is good.

The Indian-American entrepreneur has slammed President Zelenskyy for allegedly banning 11 Opposition parties, consolidating media as state broadcaster, and accused Ukraine of having "abysmal record on corruption".

He also slammed Zelenskyy over the Canadian Parliament episode -- where Nazi veteran Yaroslav Hunka was honoured -- and for demanding US funds for holding elections.

Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Ramaswamy posted, "TRUTH: The fact that "Putin is bad" doesn't mean Ukraine is good. Pro-war Republicans are selling the same lie as Biden".

"Zelensky has banned 11 opposition parties and consolidated all TV channels into *one* state broadcaster. The country threatened not to hold its regular elections unless the U.S. forks over more $$, it has an abysmal record on corruption, and Zelensky shamefully joined the Canadian parliament to applaud a Nazi collaborator. Most occupied regions in the Donbas are Russian-speaking and haven't voted in Ukrainian parliamentary elections for nearly a decade. We have to confront these hard facts or else we'll repeat the same mistakes as we did in Iraq and Afghanistan," Ramaswamy stated.

Notably, throughout his campaign, Ramaswamy has been critical of US support to Ukraine in the ongoing war against Russia, even calling it "disastrous".

The Ohio-based entrepreneur has advocated for ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict with Moscow keeping parts of Donbas region and Kyiv not joining NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin must exit his military alliance with China to end the conflict.

The Indian American entrepreneur had shot up sharply in GOP primary polls, standing tied with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at the second position. However, both candidates lag hugely behind former President Donald Trump who leads with 56 per cent, as per The Hill.

He also stood out in the first GOP debate. Despite being a 38-year-old tech entrepreneur without any prior political experience, the youngest Republican candidate took the sharp criticism from his rivals as a "badge of honour".

In another poll by RealClearPolitics, Trump is far out in front of the 2024 GOP race with 53.6 per cent support, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 13.5 per cent, and Ramaswamy at 7.3 per cent, New York Post reported.

Ramaswamy's campaign has gained attention, and he has risen in GOP primary polls, although he still trails behind Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in support.

The next US presidential election is scheduled for November 5, 2024.