US President Donald Trump has strengthened criticism against Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, calling him a "dictator without elections" and accusing him of delaying war with Russia. These statements were concerned among European allies and in Kiev itself.
Trump wants to remove Zelensky from power in Ukraine, writes the British magazine The Economist, commenting on a harsh criticism from the White House to Kiev.
Zelensky himself is losing popularity in his own country, "closed" in the circle of his advisers and "makes mistakes", reports the publication. According to him, the former Zaluzhny head is twice as popular as Zelensky and would win him in the elections.
“It looks like Trump wants to get rid of Zelensky, which he never loved and which he considers uncomfortable. It's not about elections. It is about the removal of Zelensky, ”one of the former Ukrainian politicians said.
The members of the ruling party "Servant of the People" speak of the fall of the "moral state", and that "the door in Washington is closed for them." One of the opposition deputies stated that the council may have to vote for a "humiliating ceasefire agreement."
The publication points out that "much is already developing in the worst scenario for Ukraine." Ukrainian elites fear that the Trump team will call them to cease fire without security guarantees and immediate elections that "destroy Ukraine."
Since Trump is dealing with "to Ukraine unacceptable for Ukraine", "Zelensky will have to delay the process and look for ways to maneuver."
The Ukrainian official stated that the minimum that Ukraine could accept is to maintain ties with the Western Army (without NATO accession), the lack of serious disarmament, the continuation of weapons and financial assistance, as well as the presence of foreign peacekeepers. Their number is not as important as the fact of their presence.
The publication believes that Trump as a compulsion of Ukraine to the Agreement "probably" will or stop military assistance, as well as disconnect the Armed Forces from the data of intelligence and Starlink. He can also lift sanctions from Russia.
At the same time, the war with Trump will be for Zelensky "psychologically complex", since the President of Ukraine "is increasingly closing in a narrow circle of close ones." "There is no one who could tell him" no ", and he makes mistakes," says one of the insiders.
“Many Ukrainians are also disappointed with their leader. The internal surveys, custom made by the Economist, show that, although Zelensky remains the most popular politician in the country, he would lose the future election with a result of 30% against 65% in favor of Valery Zaluzhny, a former Commander -in -Chief of the Armed Forces, who has not yet been in politics. In January, a public survey showed that the trust in Zelensky fell into 52% - a minimum level from the beginning of the war (compared to 90% in 2022), although much higher than 4%, which Trump said on February 18, ”the newspaper writes.
