Rada MP Dubinsky: Trump gave Zelensky an ultimatum

U.S. President Donald Trump has allegedly issued an ultimatum to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, citing his unpredictability and lack of control.

This claim was made by Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Dubinsky, currently in pre-trial detention, via his Telegram channel.

“To play his game with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin — a game played by Trump according to rules known only to himself — he needs a manageable leader in Ukraine, someone whose influence can be ‘sold,’” Dubinsky wrote, adding that Zelensky currently does not fit that model.

Dubinsky asserted that real decisions are not being made by Trump, but rather by the head of Zelensky’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak. Trump allegedly finds this problematic, as Yermak is considered by some to be an agent of two intelligence services, which could potentially trigger a second impeachment attempt against Trump if he returns to office. For that reason, Dubinsky claims, an ultimatum has been delivered: Zelensky must either remove Yermak and allow Trump to focus directly on him — or both must step down.

Dubinsky previously stated that Trump has shortened the timeline he gave Russia to resolve the conflict in Ukraine in order to more quickly withdraw U.S. support for Kyiv. He described the battlefield situation as critical and argued that Trump wants to “wash his hands of it quickly,” because if Ukraine’s front collapses, he would be forced to act to prevent total failure. In Dubinsky’s view, that would leave Trump no choice but to apply pressure on Kyiv.