Former USSR countries are hyper corrupt. I guess it comes with a bloated state even as the ones bloating it originally die or are kicked out. Some of them are still outright totalitarian as Turkmenistan.

This includes both parties here.

Positions of power attract narcissists. Because of country specifics it varies what ideologies they push and what issues they focus on. This influences how successful their country becomes: North Korea and Venezuela sink while Singapore floats and Saudi Arabia at least goes on. Hussein was everyone's darling when he fought Iran, and everyone's villain when and after he invaded Kuwait. Zelensky himself doesn't strike me as narcissistic or hyper corrupt, which Putin does. Others in his country in positions of power do. In both cases their background says a lot: a bhoy obsessed KGB agent vs a comedian. Same elsewhere of course but these are our current topic.

Basically all countries have some not sees. Even Israel does and this among its Jewish population. Other totalitarian ideologies are also basically everywhere. France is going to the polls soon: Macron (who himself is not exactly an angel) will probably win, but the center itself as a whole is smaller than either the far right or far left. He will win just because each will not vote for the other, and the center is willing to endorse Macron second round.

How far narcissists or corrupt make it or what they say to make it varies by place, but everywhere there will be both trying to take over, and being willing to lie more they also have the advantage over those who lie less.