Senior members of US President Donald Trump's inner circle have conducted secret discussions with top Ukrainian political opponents of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, POLITICO reported, as Washington appears to align with Moscow in pressuring the Ukrainian leader out of office.
According to POLITICO, four senior Trump allies held meetings with Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister known for her political ambitions, and senior members of Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's party. POLITICO cited three Ukrainian parliamentarians and a US Republican foreign policy expert as sources for these discussions.
The talks centered on possibilities for Ukraine to hold rapid presidential elections, POLITICO reported. These elections are currently on hold under Ukraine's constitution because the country remains under martial law. Critics argue such elections could create chaos and benefit Russia, especially with many potential voters serving in combat zones or living abroad as refugees.
Trump allies believe Zelenskyy would lose any election due to war fatigue and public frustration over corruption issues, POLITICO reported. While Zelenskyy's approval ratings had been declining for years, they saw an uptick following last week's contentious Oval Office meeting, where reports suggest he was abruptly dismissed after being criticized by Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
"The official line from the US administration is that Trump is not interfering in Ukraine's domestic politics," POLITICO noted. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently stated that his boss was not "weighing into Ukrainian politics," adding that Trump simply wants a partner for peace.
Video: Donald Trump speaks about Zelenskyy / Credit: Social media
However, Trump's public actions tell a different story. He has labeled Zelenskyy a "dictator without elections," while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has incorrectly claimed Kyiv canceled elections.
Despite hopes within the Trump administration that an election might remove Zelenskyy, polling suggests he remains substantially more popular than his rivals. A survey conducted by British polling firm Survation after the White House incident showed 44% of Ukrainians would support Zelenskyy for president.
His closest competitor, former army commander Valerii Zaluzhny, who now serves as Ukraine's ambassador to Britain, trails by more than 20 percentage points. Poroshenko, nicknamed the "Chocolate King" due to his confectionery business, received only 10% support, while Tymoshenko garnered just 5.7%.
The back-channel discussions reportedly focus on holding presidential elections after a temporary ceasefire but before full peace negotiations begin. This approach aligns with the Kremlin's agenda, as Russia has long sought Zelenskyy's removal.
When asked about these discussions, Tymoshenko's spokesperson Natalya Lysova told POLITICO: "We won't comment on that yet."
Poroshenko's European Solidarity party provided a careful response, stating: "Our narrative is not to push for elections but to secure free and fair competitive post-war elections in our country." The party added: "It is also logical that any contacts do include the presentation of the vision of President Poroshenko and the European Solidarity on the ways to end the war with [a] just, comprehensive and lasting peace and [on] the limits for possible compromises on the negotiating points."
Trump administration officials have increasingly suggested Zelenskyy should step aside unless he fully embraces the US plan to rapidly end the war, even if that requires major Ukrainian concessions.
Ruslan Bortnik, director of the Ukrainian Institute of Politics, told POLITICO: "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."
Bortnik added: "The elites are feeling very disoriented and shocked because they understand very clearly that without United States support, Ukraine will be defeated."
Trump's recent decision to pause military aid to Ukraine has intensified political concerns and accelerated back-channel communications between Ukrainian politicians and Trump's circle.
On Monday, Trump warned that Zelenskyy "won't be around very long" if progress on a peace deal satisfactory to him isn't made. National Security Adviser Michael Waltz emphasized that Washington needed "a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war."
