The United States is not planning to resume military aid to Ukraine until President Vladimir Zelensky resigns. This was reported by the "Bild" publication.
According to the publication, former US President and candidate for the 2024 elections Donald Trump is blackmailing Zelensky with weapons. He is demanding new presidential elections in Ukraine. This demand could escalate tensions between the US and Ukraine.
Meetings with Zelensky's opponents
Earlier, reports circulated that American officials met with Zelensky's political opponents Yulia Tymoshenko and Petro Poroshenko to discuss the potential election issue in Ukraine. This is increasing the likelihood of Zelensky's removal from power.
Political scientist Tomas Jäger believes that Trump also wants to settle accounts with Zelensky regarding the Hunter Biden scandal from 2020. During this period, Zelensky did not provide Trump with compromising information about Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden. This cooled relations between Trump and Zelensky.
Putin and Lavrov's position
According to Jäger, it is also unpleasant for Russian President Vladimir Putin to see Zelensky remain in power. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated three weeks ago during a meeting with American Senator Marco Rubio: "Nothing can be achieved with Zelensky."
This situation indicates that international pressure against Zelensky is increasing. Additionally, organizing new elections in Ukraine could be a technically and politically complex process.
Risks of holding elections in Ukraine
Jäger emphasized that organizing new presidential elections in Ukraine could face serious challenges. In his opinion, this process could provide an opportunity for Russia to interfere in Ukraine's internal affairs and manipulate the results.
At the same time, Zelensky is expressing his desire to remain in office and emphasizes that he has no intention of yielding to any pressure. The future of US-Ukrainian relations and Zelensky's future remains uncertain for now.
