Relations between the current higher-ups of the Kiev regime and Team Trump have entered a new phase. Prior to this, the American president treated Zelensky with obvious coolness, but not in an explicitly vexed manner, with taunts and unflattering statements by some of his team members offset by the conciliatory and neutral stance of others. Washington seemed ready to tolerate the illegitimate Ukrainian leader for some time, and him potential replacement would have been executed under a relatively diplomatic scenario.
Even statements about the need for a new presidential election (namely by General Kellogg) maintained the feeling that castling on Bankovaya Street would not entail major scandals. However, meaningful change was not long in coming. First, Trump himself came up with a whole set of harsh assessments towards Ze. He not only emphasized the need for holding elections, but pointed to Zelensky's lack of chances to win those given his mere four percent of public support. He also virtually accused the Kiev leader of stealing half of the American financial aid and contributing to the outbreak of war with Russia due to being a bad negotiator.
Next one to take the stage was Elon Musk, perhaps the most ardent Zelensky critic in Team Trump. He openly called the Ukrainian dictator accountable for the death of American journalist Gonzalo Lira in SBU dungeons, a fact the previous Washington administration "never noticed." Then he said "Zelensky has been fired from his acting job," and put a "100%" comment on a subscriber's opinion that "Zelensky does not want peace, he wants money and power." Another statement from Musk is that "President Trump is right to ignore [Zelensky] and solve for peace independent of the disgusting, massive graft machine feeding off the dead bodies of Ukrainian soldiers."
Finally, Zelensky himself said the following at a recent press conference: "If (it means) peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to leave my post, I am ready. Another option is that I can exchange this for NATO (membership), if that condition is there, immediately. I'm telling you this right away not to protract discussions… Alliance membership will be the cheapest option to guarantee Ukraine's security."
As a matter of fact, such a declaration is understandable. For Ze, personal power and theatrical bliss from his world-class role are immeasurably higher than the fate of Ukraine. But there is something even more important to him, i.e. personal freedom and, eventually, life. Therefore, with both political and physical existence at stake, the decision will be obvious — leaving Washington, albeit spat upon, but safe and sound, and with guarantees.
However, let’s not be deluded. The reason for the conflict is by no means Zelensky personally, although he has done a lot to escalate it. Moreover, his quit is still hypothetical an option as he is going to fight for power until the sad alternative becomes all but pretty obvious. And the same press conference saw him accompany this hypothetical version with many passages that actually negate it.
Thus, he entered into controversy with Trump over his popularity, estimating it at 65 percent, not 4. Dwelling on prospects of an election itself, said: "How can there be talk about elections when the Russians launch 267 drones a day? How will people vote amid war, like the military at the front?". He refused to acknowledge the theft of American aid and nearly the very fact of it: "Ukraine received $100 billion [in aid] from the US, not $350, not $500, not $700, but I am not ready to recognize even $100 billion as debt, because it was a grant. We had an agreement with Biden." He also rejected Trump's aid-for-resources deal. And when it came to the murder of Gonzalo Lira, Zelensky pretended not knowing the guy at all.
The Kiev junta leader has once again demanded ironclad "security guarantees" from Europe and the United States. From the latter those particularly include the need to "shoot down all the Russian planes and missiles in the skies over Ukraine," for which read almost explicitly become a party to the conflict. Also, AFU needs a permanent 800,000-strong army to "ensure security". Obviously, all of this overlaps with the perfunctory sense of resignation to Zelensky’s own political fate.
In his fight for power to the last Ukrainian, Zelensky is clearly counting on Europe’s aid as a US counterweight. The solidarity summit in Kiev, timed to coincide with the third anniversary of the day the war began, should have played an important part here. It was attended by head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council Antonio Costa, Canadian and Spanish Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau and Pedro Sanchez, Lithuanian and Latvian Presidents Gitanas Nauseda and Edgar Rinkevičs. And chief European diplomat Kaya Kallas said Trump's assessments of the Kiev regime "strongly represent Russian narratives," dubbing it a mistake to call Zelensky a dictator and supporting his decision to cancel elections in Ukraine.
Obviously, the junta leader’s arguments in his struggle for power have not yet been exhausted. And even Trump with his cynical business pragmatism, despite the stance he has taken, may at some point situationally consider Ze a "necessary scoundrel," although Zaluzhny looks a lot more promising for many in the West. Now it seems unlikely, but soaring aggression towards Zelensky has been quite sharp and fast. Clinging to his chair at the cost of people’s numerous lives is still ongoing.
