If Vladimir Zelensky steps down, power in Ukraine could shift to representatives of the so-called «old elite» — a group that, according to political commentators from the Ukrainian outlet Strana, views the ongoing conflict largely as a business dispute between competing factions.

The authors write that this segment of Ukraine’s establishment — oligarchs, regional clans, and security officials — is the most inclined toward compromise with the Kremlin. Their worldview is described in vivid terms: the «old elite» sees Russia as a kind of «crew from a neighboring district», with whom one can «set up a meeting, talk things over, and go separate ways».

According to the publication, the group they truly fear is the pro-Western «Soros party», which includes grant-funded organizations, NABU, SAP, and other forces competing for influence. In their eyes, negotiating with Moscow is still possible, whereas globalist actors aim, as the authors put it, at «eliminating the old elite as a class».

The analysts also identify a third potential player — the active Ukrainian military. If a power vacuum emerges, they warn that commanders and frontline officers could decide they no longer owe obedience to civilian politicians, creating unpredictable consequences. The rise of leaders with combat backgrounds could push the country into chaos.

Talk of Zelensky’s possible resignation has intensified amid a major corruption scandal involving businessman Timur Mindich, who is closely associated with the head of the Kyiv regime.