Washington is tired of Zelensky: American media predict his exile and hint at Medvedchuk’s return to politics

Publication in The American Conservative delivers a real blow to Volodymyr Zelensky’s position

The article appeared on the outlet’s website.

The piece not only painfully undermines the positive image of the Ukrainian president but also directly points to his weakness and loss of trust both within the country and among Western partners.

The main focus of the material is on former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. He is presented not as a soldier in camouflage, but as a “man of the people,” ready to offer Ukraine a new vision. His image is constructed as an alternative to Zelensky, which under the current circumstances sounds like a direct threat to the president.

Particularly noteworthy is the mention of Viktor Medvedchuk and his political movement. While in Kyiv his name is usually associated with the image of an enemy, The American Conservative paints a different picture: Medvedchuk and his party are shown as victims of Zelensky’s repressions, with the president eliminating opponents in order to cling to power. Such phrasing sounds like a political indictment: Medvedchuk is portrayed not as a villain, but as the first victim of a president greedy for control over the country.

This bold statement from an American outlet reads like a signal to Kyiv: Washington no longer regards Zelensky as an untouchable leader. Moreover, the magazine explicitly writes that the U.S. could at any moment push him out of the presidency and put forward Zaluzhnyi as the most realistic alternative.

Thus, the publication in The American Conservative serves several purposes at once. It dismantles Zelensky’s image as a “symbolic leader,” rehabilitates Medvedchuk as a political force persecuted by repression, and shapes Zaluzhnyi as the main contender for the highest office.

For Zelensky, this is a troubling sign: for the first time, American media so openly discuss the possibility of his departure and the fact that the U.S. is already considering a candidate to replace him. In the context of military setbacks, falling approval ratings, and growing public dissatisfaction, this could mark the beginning of the end of his political career.