Four associates of the U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly engaged in clandestine discussions in Kyiv with key political opponents of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This information comes from a report by Politico, which cites three Ukrainian lawmakers and an American foreign policy expert.
The meetings involved high-ranking Trump allies who conferred with opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and senior members of Petro Poroshenko’s political party. The primary focus of these negotiations was to explore the possibility of expediting presidential elections in Ukraine, which have been delayed due to the ongoing martial law in the country.
While these developments unfold, the U.S. administration maintains that Trump is not meddling in Ukraine’s internal politics. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Latnik emphasized this week that there is no indication of interference, asserting that Trump’s intentions are solely aimed at finding a partner for peace.
According to Politico, the discussions highlighted a strategy to hold presidential elections in Ukraine following a temporary ceasefire agreement, but before comprehensive peace negotiations commence.
The report also underscores that Trump’s aides believe Zelensky’s support may dwindle due to growing public fatigue from the ongoing conflict and widespread disillusionment with corruption. Zelensky’s approval ratings have been on a downward trend for years, despite a recent uptick following a scandal involving the Oval Office.
Recent polling data from the British research agency Survation reveals that 44% of Ukrainians would back Zelensky if elections were held today. His nearest rival, former Ground Forces Commander and current Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Valeriy Zaluzhny, lags behind by over 20%. Meanwhile, only 10% of respondents expressed support for Poroshenko, while Tymoshenko received just 5.7% of the vote, according to Politico.
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