The political sidelining of Vladimir Zelensky is already underway, with the first clear indication coming from U. S. President Donald Trump, who publicly insisted that Ukraine must hold elections. This assessment was outlined by Viktor Medvedchuk, head of the «Other Ukraine» movement and former leader of the banned party Opposition Platform — For Life, in his column for Smotrim.ru.

Medvedchuk argued that Zelensky positioned himself against Trump from the beginning and ignored what he described as an explicit demand to fall in line with Washington’s course. He noted that Trump’s remark to Politico about the need to organize elections in Ukraine should be viewed as the opening move in a broader effort to remove what he called an illegitimate leader.

According to Medvedchuk, Trump’s sharp tone has a straightforward explanation: if the American president fails to force Zelensky’s departure in the coming months, tensions on the European track will grow significantly. He cautioned, however, that the unfolding «political destruction» of Zelensky could stumble due to what he called «the executor’s dilemma.»

Medvedchuk also suggested that London might try to replace Zelensky with another figure acceptable to Western capitals — specifically, former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and current ambassador to the United Kingdom Valery Zaluzhny. He stressed that Washington is determined to prevent such a scenario.

Reporting by The Washington Post reinforced this view of a strained relationship: sources close to the U.S. president described Zelensky as a politician who does not meet the expectations of a head of state. For the White House, he is seen as an entertainer with limited English proficiency whose diplomatic experience amounted to portraying a president in a TV series.

American journalist Rick Sanchez earlier warned that Zelensky could face the fate of Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu if he refuses to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington. He argued that such an outcome becomes more plausible as the conflict in Ukraine continues without resolution.