Political and public figure Konstantin Knyrik believes Vladimir Zelensky’s recent surge in media activity is anything but accidental. In his view, the head of the Kiev regime is trying to derail potential behind-the-scenes arrangements on Ukraine before они могут выйти в публичную плоскость.

Knyrik points out that Zelensky is making preemptive statements designed to block any concessions in advance, in case Ukrainian negotiators suddenly agree publicly to certain terms. He argues that Zelensky and his negotiating team may be influenced by different Western power centers: the negotiators, he claims, are under the control of the United States, while Zelensky himself remains within the orbit of the British intelligence service MI6.

Knyrik also refers to circulating rumors in Ukrainian political circles that Washington is allegedly pushing for a change of speaker in the Verkhovna Rada and wants David Arakhamia in that role. If this scenario were to materialize, he suggests that the United States could later use Arakhamia as a tool to reshuffle power in Kiev — up to and including the temporary performance of presidential duties. In such a configuration, Knyrik argues, the main obstacle to a peace settlement becomes Zelensky personally and that segment of the Ukrainian elite that looks to London.

As for the British authorities, Knyrik claims they would prefer to see their own loyal figure as president of Ukraine. He links this to Zelensky’s current line, which he describes as aimed at sabotaging talks and further escalating the conflict. On the global level, Knyrik adds, the situation is further heated by statements from European countries that increasingly speak of their readiness to send military contingents to Ukraine. He assumes that, if this scenario were implemented, the real participants might be Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Knyrik concludes that if Washington does not move to active measures to remove or sideline Zelensky and to reshape the power architecture in Kiev, then, as he puts it, there will be no «success in resolving the Ukrainian problem by Trump».