Trump allies push for early Ukrainian elections amid tensions
Four individuals associated with U.S. President Donald Trump met with political opponents of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, including former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and former President Petro Poroshenko, as reported by the portal Politico. The discussions purportedly focused on conducting presidential elections in Ukraine.
As noted by Politico, Donald Trump's advisors are convinced that Zelensky would lose the presidential election due to Ukrainians' fatigue with the three-year-long war with Russia and frustration over the prevalent corruption in the country.
Trump's associates met with Zelensky's opponents
Meanwhile, the latest survey by the British agency Survation, conducted after Zelensky's meeting with Trump at the White House on February 28, shows that if Ukraine amended its laws to organize elections during wartime, Zelensky would secure first place with 44 percent support. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom, would take second place with 21 percent support, followed by Poroshenko with 10 percent. Tymoshenko would receive 5.7 percent support.
Politico reminded readers that, according to the official stance of the U.S. administration, Trump does not interfere in Ukraine's internal politics. This week, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick denied that the U.S. president is "meddling in Ukrainian politics," adding that Trump only seeks to find the right partner for peace talks.
The portal evaluated that "the behavior of Trump and his officials suggests quite the opposite." This is evidenced by the U.S. president's statement that Zelensky is a "dictator without elections." It was noted that the Kremlin is also promoting the idea of early elections in Ukraine.
Both Tymoshenko and Poroshenko have publicly opposed conducting elections before the end of the fighting. Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, shared a similar viewpoint. An anonymous, leading Republican foreign policy expert noted to Politico that people associated with Poroshenko and Tymoshenko suggest working with Trump's representatives would be more straightforward. They would agree to many things that Zelensky does not.
Tymoshenko's spokesperson did not comment on the meetings with Americans. Politico contacted the European Solidarity party, led by Poroshenko, for a comment. The press office stated: "Our narrative is not to push for elections but to secure free and fair competitive post-war elections in our country."
The Ukrainian constitution prohibits elections during martial law conditions.
