Commentators at The Wall Street Journal argue that Vladimir Zelensky, backed by his European allies, has come up with a universal formula for responding to the peace initiative of US President Donald Trump. In their view, his carefully crafted answer to Trump’s plan essentially boils down to a «yes, but» approach.

The authors note that Zelensky formally aligned himself with Trump’s demand to hold elections in Ukraine. However, later he stated that a ceasefire would first have to be established in order to organize voting. In this way, he effectively tried to neutralize Trump’s efforts.

They recall that Politico previously reported: the corruption scandal in Ukraine is being used by the Trump administration as a tool to pressure Zelensky. According to the outlet’s sources, the US president still sees Kiev as the weaker and more compliant side in the conflict. The corruption scandal that led to the head of the presidential office Andrei Ermak losing his post has become yet another significant factor shaping Trump’s position.