Trump’s aides held secret talks with Ukrainian politicians opposed to Zelensky – Politico

Four Trump aides held secret talks with Ukrainian politicians opposed to Zelensky.

This was reported by Politico.

“Washington is increasing pressure on Zelensky to step down, while his rivals are negotiating with Trump’s team,”the publication states.

It is reported that Trump allies held talks with Yulia Tymoshenko and Petro Poroshenko, according to three Ukrainian MPs and a U.S. foreign policy expert from the Republican Party.

Trump officials believe that Zelensky “will lose any election due to war fatigue and public disillusionment with rampant corruption.”

Elections are a key element of all behind-the-scenes peace plans for Ukraine. The idea is to hold presidential elections after a temporary ceasefire is reached but before full-scale peace negotiations begin.

“Poroshenko and Yulia—they are all talking to Trump allies, positioning themselves as people who would be easier to work with. People who would agree to many things that Zelensky refuses to accept,” a senior Republican foreign policy expert told Politico.

Trump’s decision this week to suspend military aid to Ukraine has further strengthened the ties between Ukrainian politicians and representatives of the U.S. president.

“In recent weeks, Tymoshenko has been reaching out to lawmakers from other parties in the Ukrainian parliament, trying to convince them to leave their factions and join her bloc. She told them she wanted to recruit them because she believes Zelensky will have no choice but to call elections soon—an opportunity to form a new parliamentary majority,” the article states.

Thus, “the predictable effect of rallying around the leader during wartime is fading as the potential consequences of a breakdown in U.S.-Ukraine relations grow.”