On the 19th, renowned American journalist and investigative reporter Sidney Blumenthal released an explosive news piece on his Substack blog. In the article titled “Zelensky Is Facing His End?”, Blumenthal quoted Washington insiders saying that the United States might force Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to leave, with
Zalynychenko potentially taking over as the new president of Ukraine.
“This power shift could happen within a few months,” Blumenthal stated in the article. If US President Donald Trump is determined, Zelensky may be “exiled.” He cited insiders’ comments that if Zelensky refuses, he could also be forcibly removed. Blumenthal mentioned that many people in the US and Ukraine believe that now is the opportunity to reach an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that the escalating air war between Russia and Ukraine must be resolved as soon as possible.
▲ Zelensky, Image Source: Visual China
So far, the Ukrainian authorities have not responded to Blumenthal’s claims. However, according to previous reports, analysts believe Zalynychenko has a high approval rating among the public. If he decides to enter politics, it could pose a threat to Zelensky’s re-election bid, which Zelensky has always feared due to his perceived dominance.
It is important to note that May 20, 2024, was supposed to be the end of Zelensky’s presidency. However, due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Ukrainian government issued a state of emergency, extending the new presidential election indefinitely. As such, after the end of his term, Zelensky continued to fulfill his presidential duties. Reports indicate that under increasingly strained relations, Trump had called for Ukraine to hold elections as soon as possible in February this year, describing Zelensky as a “dictator without an election.” On the eve of his meeting with Zelensky on February 28, Trump changed his stance, denying having called Zelensky a “dictator.”
On March 30, another report suggested that Russia questioned the legitimacy of Zelensky’s presidency, arguing that he “lacks the legality to sign a peace agreement.” This triggered strong anger from Trump. The report mentioned that Trump was concerned about the potential impact of the new Ukrainian leader on the achievement of a peace agreement.
Just as Blumenthal released this information, Zelensky expressed on the 19th that negotiations must be accelerated.
Ukraine has proposed to Russia that the next round of talks should take place next week.
He also requested a private meeting with Putin. “To achieve final peace, there needs to be a leadership-level negotiation. Ukraine is ready,” Zelensky said. An insider familiar with the Russian negotiating team confirmed that Ukraine has invited Russia to hold a new round of talks in the coming days, though the exact date has yet to be set.
It is not the first time Zelensky has expressed a desire to meet with Putin privately. During an interview with the media on the 6th of this month, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Zelensky wishes to bypass legal means and “verify” his legitimacy through a meeting with the Russian President. “He also fears being forgotten by the West and becoming ‘unnecessary’ to them.”
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has drawn multilateral competition