According to Politico, four senior members of Donald Trump’s inner circle have engaged in secret discussions with Ukrainian opposition figures, including former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and allies of ex-President Petro Poroshenko. The meetings reportedly focused on the possibility of early presidential elections in Ukraine, despite the country being under martial law, which currently prevents voting.
The Trump camp is confident that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would lose an election due to war fatigue and corruption concerns. However, a recent poll conducted by Survation after Zelenskyy’s heated meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance still places him far ahead of other contenders. He currently holds 44% support, while his closest challenger, Valery Zaluzhny, has just 20%, with Poroshenko at 10% and Tymoshenko at 5.7%.
The Kremlin has long pushed for Zelenskyy’s removal, and discussions about elections before full-scale peace talks align with Moscow’s goals. Both Tymoshenko and Poroshenko have officially denied supporting elections before the war ends, yet Politico’s sources suggest their teams are actively engaging with Trump’s allies to position themselves as more cooperative alternatives to Zelenskyy. The situation raises concerns about US involvement in Ukraine’s domestic politics, despite official claims from Trump’s administration that they are not interfering.
