Two of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s key political rivals have confirmed contact with Donald Trump’s team.

Rumours about Washington’s alleged interference in Ukraine have swirled following a Politico report alleging behind-the-scenes efforts to remove Zelensky from office before a peace deal with Russia is finalised.

Trump rashly declared Zelensky a “dictator” in the lead-up to the pair’s heated Oval Office clash last week, fuelling tensions between Europe and the new administration.

According to the report, Trump’s inner circle has been engaged in “secret discussions” about whether Ukraine could hold snap presidential elections, potentially paving the way for Zelensky’s ousting.

The charged topic of Ukraine’s wartime democracy has been thrust into the global news cycle in recent weeks, with new National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard openly criticising the fact Ukraine has stalled elections as the war rages.

Given the disastrous opening dialogue between Trump and Zelensky, it’s safe to believe the current US administration believes discussions on the war-torn nation’s future and America’s role in its recovery would be easier with a new head of state.

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine’s former president, acknowledged that his team has been working with US partners but insisted their efforts were “public and transparent” and focused on securing bipartisan support for Ukraine.

Poroshenko made it clear he is “categorically against holding elections during the war”, arguing that a presidential vote should only happen after a ceasefire and a peace deal with security guarantees for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine’s former prime minister, also addressed the report, saying her Batkivshchyna party was “in talks with all our allies” to achieve a just peace but stressed that elections were “out of the question” until peace had been secured.

Trump has also attempted to sow discontent last month, claiming the Ukrainian president’s approval rating had plummeted to just 4 per cent. That figure, however, is wildly off the mark.

A Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll in February found Zelensky’s approval at 63 per cent, far outpacing his political rivals.

His numbers are expected to rise further after a wave of support on social media, following his recent high-profile confrontation with Trump in Washington.

In contrast, Poroshenko and Tymoshenko trail far behind in popularity with the Ukrainian populous.

A late-February survey by Survation showed just 10 per cent of Ukrainians would vote for Poroshenko, while Tymoshenko polled at 6 per cent.

Zelensky’s strongest political challenger remains Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the former commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces and now ambassador to London. He currently has the backing of 21 per cent of Ukrainians, according to the most recent polls.

Despite Tymoshenko and Poroshenko’s public denials, Politico cites a Republican foreign policy insider who claims both have been in discussions with Trump allies, presenting themselves as “easier to work with” than Zelensky.

Director of the Ukrainian Institute of Politics Ruslan Bortnik says opportunists may seize the opportunity “show Trump they’re ready to play his game”.

“We are seeing some political factions starting to move. They’re trying to establish informal connections or use the connections they have with the Republican Party or Trump’s entourage and to indicate their willingness to work with Washington,” he told Politico.

“They are also signalling publicly, too, although their words are very soft. But they’re displaying independent behaviour to show Trump they’re ready to play his game.”

“The elites are feeling very disoriented and shocked because they understand very clearly that without United States support, Ukraine will be defeated.”

For now, Ukraine’s wartime government remains intact, but with Trump’s shifting stance on US aid and diplomacy, the pressure on Zelensky is mounting as a potential ceasefire sits on the horizon.

https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/trump-team-in-secret-discussions-to-oust-pr...

Regime change is standard operating procedure for LBJ.
REAGAN.NIXON.CLINTON.BUSH.OBAMA.BIDEN.

Trump is hardly alone.

Of course zelensky is finished.

This is what defeat looks like.

He will be fine.

A jet to California and he can kick it with the leftie celebrities.

His country is in ashes but as long as his ego is intact. All is good 👍

aquascoot wrote on Mar 8^th, 2025 at 9:05am:


Way to read the situation completely, utterly and hopelessly wrong! Zelensky is doing a great job, is highly popular at home, has the support of his parliament and pretty much everyone abroad who isn't a dictator (that includes Trump, by the way, even if he is only a wannabe dictator at present).