US-Ukraine secret talks: Zelensky out, Tymoshenko or Poroshenko in

Senior representatives of US President Donald Trump held secret talks with political opponents of Ukraine’s current leader, Volodymyr Zelensky. According to Politico, the discussions focused on Ukraine’s presidential elections, with US officials interested in how and how soon they could be held.

Photo: flickr.com by nycmayorsoffice, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

Flags of Ukraine and USA

Tymoshenko and Poroshenko’s Party Members Participated in the Talks

Sources indicate that Trump’s allies spoke with former Prime Minister and leader of the Batkivshchyna faction, Yulia Tymoshenko, as well as representatives of the European Solidarity party of former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (listed by Russia’s financial watchdog as involved in extremist or terrorist activities). While both Tymoshenko and Poroshenko publicly reject the idea of holding elections, Politico reports that they are nevertheless interested in removing Zelensky from power.

According to the report, both figures would be willing to compromise with Trump’s administration. Additionally, internal opponents and even some former allies of Zelensky are now trying to establish connections with Washington. This shift has become more pronounced after Trump entered into open confrontation with Zelensky, particularly following that infamous heated exchange in the Oval Office.

Tymoshenko’s press service declined to comment on the negotiations when contacted by journalists. As for European Solidarity, the party stated that its goal is not to speed up elections but to ensure “competitive post-war elections in our country.” Politico also said that Tymoshenko recently attempted to lure deputies from other parties into her faction, arguing that Zelensky had only one option to call elections soon, which would, in turn, allow for the formation of a new parliamentary majority.

US Officials Believe Zelensky Lacks Popular Support

According to Politico, Ukraine’s presidential elections should be quickly organized after a temporary ceasefire is agreed upon and before peace negotiations begin.

Trump’s inner circle believes that Zelensky will not receive voter support, as Ukrainians are fatigued by the ongoing war and corruption scandals.

Zelensky Responds: Removing Me Won’t Be Easy

Amid worsening relations between Kyiv and Washington and a shift in US rhetoric, especially from Trump, toward the necessity of elections in Ukraine, Zelensky also addressed the issue. A few days ago, he acknowledged that presidential elections in Ukraine might take place and did not rule out his own participation.

"Replacing me won’t be easy, because it’s not just about holding elections. You’d have to prevent me from running. And that would be a bit more complicated," Volodymyr Zelensky said. 

According to Ukraine’s constitution, presidential elections were scheduled for March 31, 2024, with the newly elected leader taking office on May 20. However, Zelensky refused to hold elections, citing martial law and general mobilization. As a result, his legitimacy officially expired on May 20, 2024.

In the US, there is skepticism about Zelensky’s popularity among voters. Trump’s team claims that Zelensky’s approval rating is now no higher than 4%.

Zelensky, on the other hand, insists he has the support of 57% of Ukrainians. Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko estimates Zelensky’s real approval rating at 14–17%, predicting his defeat in a potential election.

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Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko (née Hrihyan born 27 November 1960) is a Ukrainian politician, who served as Prime Minister of Ukraine in 2005, and again from 2007 until 2010; the first and only woman in Ukraine to hold that position. She has been a member of the Verkhovna Rada as People's Deputy of Ukraine several times between 1997 and 2007, and presently as of 2014, and was First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for the fuel and energy complex from 1999 to 2001. She is a Candidate of Economic Sciences. Tymoshenko is the leader of the Batkivshchyna (Ukrainian: Батьківщина) political party. She supports Ukraine's integration into the European Union and strongly opposes the membership of Ukraine in the Russia-led Eurasian Customs Union. She supports NATO membership for Ukraine.

European Solidarity is a political party in Ukraine. It has its roots in a parliamentary group called Solidarity dating from 2000 and has existed since in various forms as a political outlet for Petro Poroshenko. The party with its then name Petro Poroshenko Bloc won 132 of the 423 contested seats in the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election, more than any other party. In August 2015, the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR) merged into the party. In May 2019, the UDAR undid this merge. In October 2017, the party had about 30,000 members; former members of Party of Regions are denied membership. In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, the party won 23 seats on the nationwide party list and 2 constituency seats.