Trump aides hold covert talks with Ukrainian opposition
Representatives of Donald Trump have been secretly engaging in discussions with the Ukrainian opposition, according to Politico. For some time now, the President of the United States and his associates have indicated a preference for a negotiating partner other than Volodymyr Zelensky and are advocating for elections.
Four senior representatives of Donald Trump met with Yulia Tymoshenko, former Prime Minister and leader of the opposition Batkivshchyna party, and representatives of former President Petro Poroshenko's European Solidarity, Politico reports, citing three Ukrainian deputies and a Republican foreign policy expert.
The Americans sought to ascertain whether Ukraine is capable of holding prompt presidential elections. Elections are suspended due to martial law, as the Ukrainian constitution prohibits their organisation under such circumstances. Commentators also note that elections at this moment would not be fair, as a significant portion of the country is embroiled in conflict, and millions of Ukrainians are abroad.
The Americans wish for the elections to occur after a ceasefire agreement but before final peace talks.
Tymoshenko and Poroshenko have publicly opposed holding elections during ongoing fighting. However, as Politico reports, both presented themselves to Trump's representatives as easier collaborators—and as individuals who would agree to many things Zelensky did not want to agree to, says a Republican Party international policy expert who wishes to remain anonymous.
Trump wants to remove Zelensky
The Trump administration wants elections organised in Ukraine because it believes Volodymyr Zelensky would lose, partly because of public fatigue with the war and his current administration. The Americans also want a more compliant president who would agree to negotiations with the Russians and make substantial concessions on the path to peace. The Kremlin is also putting pressure on voters, having attempted for years to oust Zelensky.
However, Trump may miscalculate. According to a British Survation poll conducted after the uproar at the White House, 44% of Ukrainians would support Zelensky in another bid for the presidency.
The second-highest result was for Valery Zaluzhny, former Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and current Ambassador to the United Kingdom, who was supported by 21%.
Poroshenko would receive 10% of the vote, former Verkhovna Rada Chairman Dmytro Razumkov 6.1%, and Yulia Tymoshenko 5.7%.
