Four people from the U.S. president Donald Trump met with political opponents of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenski, among others with erstwhile Prime Minister Julia Tymoshenko and erstwhile president Petr Poroshenko, said the Politico portal on Thursday. The talks were about holding presidential elections in Ukraine.
As Politico noted, Trump's advisors are convinced that Zelenski would lose the presidential election, as Ukrainians have been tired of the full-size war with Russia for 3 years and frustrated by the country's corruption.
At the same time, the latest survey of the British agency Survival, conducted after the Zelenski gathering with Trump in the White home on 28 February, shows that if Ukraine had changed the law regarding the organisation of elections during the war, Zelenski would have taken first place with 44 percent support. The second place would be to the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, to Walerij Załuży (21%), and the 3rd to Poroscence (10%). Tymoshenko would gain 5.7 percent of support.
Politico recalled that according to the authoritative U.S. administration position Trump did not interfere with Ukraine's interior policy. This week, U.S. Trade Minister Howard Lutnick denied that the president of the United States was "interrupting in Ukrainian politics", adding that he simply wanted to find the right partner for peace talks.
In the opinion of the portal "the preservation of Trump and his officials suggests something to the contrary". This is evidenced by the message of the president of the United States that Zelenski is simply a "dictator without elections". As noted, the thought of earlier elections in Ukraine is besides pushed by the Kremlin.
Both Tymoshenko and Poroshenko publically objected to holding elections before the end of the fight. The same opinion was expressed by Mer Kiev Vitali Klickko. "Poroshenko people and Julia herself (Tymoshenko), everyone, talking to Trump representatives, suggesting that it would be easier to work with them. They would agree to many things that Zelenski does not agree to" - said anonymously in an interview with Politico the leading Republican abroad policy expert.
The gathering with the Americans did not comment on the spokeswoman of Tymoshenko. Politico contacted the European Solidarity Party, led by Poroshenko, asking for comment. The press office replied that the party's action "is to safe free, honest and competitive elections after the war".
The Ukrainian constitution forbids elections under martial law. (PAP)
