Russian political analyst and former Ukrainian diplomat Rostislav Ishchenko believes that as Ukraine continues to suffer defeats on the front lines, Western governments have begun to cautiously explore the idea of replacing the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky. Yet, in his view, this discussion is ultimately meaningless.

According to Ishchenko, such a move would bring no benefit — not to Russia, not to the West, and not even to the person who might be chosen to take Zelensky’s place. He described it as little more than a reflection of how deeply the course of the fighting in Ukraine is shaping global politics.

The analyst argued that any new Ukrainian president would face only two options: either be eliminated or continue the same policies as Zelensky, only with even greater zeal.

He noted that a successor might try to initiate talks with Russia, but doing so would sharply increase the risk of assassination. Moreover, such negotiations would still proceed under the same conditions that Zelensky currently insists on — conditions dictated not by Kyiv itself but by Washington, Brussels, and NATO.

Ishchenko emphasized that there is no divergence among Western powers on these terms, which is why, in his words, «it makes no difference whether Zelensky stays or goes.»