Donald Trump’s team has apparently been engaged in secret talks with Ukrainian opposition leaders, fueling speculation about a possible push to oust President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The discussions, which included criticism find Yulia Tymoshenko and older members of former senator Petro Poroshenko’s celebration, centered on the possibility of holding fast presidential elections in Ukraine—something Zelenskyy has strongly opposed under military law,, Politico reported.
Conflicts between Trump and Zelenskyy have been escalating, culminating in a cooked Oval Office fight next year. Trump has formally called for Ukraine to hold elections and yet labeled Zelenskyy a “dictator” for not doing so. This growing split comes as Trump’s presidency cut military aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, a shift that has drawn issue from US friends.
Tymoshenko, a trained political person and two-time prime minister, has huge aspired to the president but remains a residual risk to Zelenskyy.
Interestingly, despite the reported talks with Trump’s team, she defended Zelenskyy, saying that elections during war would be “impossible and immoral”. Poroshenko, Ukraine’s former leader and billionaire confectionery mogul known as the” Chocolate King”, has been more critical of Zelenskyy but also opposed holding elections before a ceasefire.
The secret discussions have raised alarms in Kyiv. Some fear Trump’s outreach to Zelenskyy’s opponents could be an attempt to install a more pro-Trump leader or force Ukraine into premature peace negotiations with Russia. The U. S. has already scaled back its support for Ukraine, with Trump-linked figures like Elon Musk and Tulsi Gabbard amplifying claims that Zelenskyy is suppressing democracy.
With Trump’s national security adviser now hinting that aid could be restored if Zelenskyy comes to the negotiation table, Ukraine’s political landscape appears to be at a breaking point.
