Trump's Team Reportedly In Covert Talks With Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's Political Opponents: 'They Are Ready To Play His Game'

The political landscape in Ukraine is witnessing a new development as four high-ranking members from U.S. President Donald Trump‘s team reportedly have been secretly engaging with key political adversaries of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

What Happened: The closed-door meetings were held with Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and high-ranking members of former president Petro Poroshenko‘s party, as per a Politico report on Thursday.

The discussions were centered around the possibility of conducting swift presidential elections in Ukraine, which are currently on hold due to the country’s ongoing martial law.

While critics argue that such elections could lead to chaos and potentially benefit Russia, Trump’s aides believe that due to war fatigue and public frustration over widespread corruption, Zelenskyy would likely lose any vote.

Amid reports of some Ukrainian political factions warming up to Trump, Ruslan Bortnik, director of the Ukrainian Institute of Politics told the publication, “…they're displaying independent behavior to show Trump they're ready to play his game."

Despite reports of these covert discussions, the U.S. administration officially maintains that Trump is not meddling in Ukraine’s domestic politics. The White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.

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Why It Matters: This development comes in the wake of a growing rift between Trump and Zelenskyy. Earlier in March, Trump halted U.S. military aid to Ukraine, pressuring Zelenskyy to engage in peace talks with Russia. This move was seen as an attempt to ensure that the aid was contributing to a solution.

Furthermore, a recent poll revealed that Trump’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine war has led to a rise in his disapproval rating. The poll also indicated that a majority of voters believe a world war is imminent following a tense meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy.

While Trump’s team may be hoping for Zelenskyy’s defeat in an election, recent polls show Zelenskyy still leading comfortably in the presidential race. The crucial aspect of these back-channel discussions is to schedule the presidential elections after a temporary ceasefire but before the commencement of full-scale peace negotiations.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.