Zelensky near the end? Elections imposed by the USA and Russia could cost him his power. And Europe…

A provisional agreement reached between the United States and Russia places Volodymyr Zelensky at a crucial crossroads: calling new presidential elections , with the real risk of losing his position and seeing power slip into the hands of a leader more inclined to dialogue with Moscow . The meeting in Saudi Arabia between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has shaken the foundations of Ukrainian politics, outlining a scenario in which Zelensky's political future appears increasingly uncertain.

After hours of closed-door negotiations , an unexpected point of convergence has emerged: both Washington and Moscow agree on the need for early elections in Ukraine as a precondition for a final peace agreement. A proposal that sounds like a sword of Damocles for Zelensky, a symbolic leader of the Ukrainian resistance, but now potentially expendable on the altar of Realpolitik. Indeed, separately, Trump clearly told Zelensky that he could end the war in the last three years.

The fear, expressed by many in Kiev, is that Russia could exploit the vote to favor the rise of a pro-Putin candidate, ready to sign a peace on conditions dictated by the Kremlin. A change of leadership that would completely reverse the scenario, putting an end to the Zelensky era and opening an unprecedented phase of rapprochement between Kiev and Moscow.

Zelensky and Erdogan

The agreement between the USA and Russia does not stop at the elections. Washington has guaranteed that it will not send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, while Lavrov reiterated Russia's veto on any foreign military presence in the country once hostilities cease . This makes all the meetings in Paris organized by Macron perfectly useless, because they organize peacekeeping forces that are going nowhere. These are Elegant Dinners, so to speak, and nothing more

Zelensky's reaction to the Russian-American initiative was one of open hostility . Excluded from the negotiations and visibly irritated, the Ukrainian president denounced the Saudi summit as an attempt to decide Ukraine's fate "behind our backs." Harsh words that testify to his growing frustration and fear of being placed on the sidelines of a crucial decision-making process for the future of his country.

Despite the decline in popularity recorded in the latest polls – with consensus falling to 50% compared to peaks of 70% – Zelensky remains an important political player, but the convergence of interests between the USA and Russia could prove to be an insurmountable obstacle. Putin, for his part, has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of Zelensky's presidency, further fueling uncertainties about the Ukrainian leader's political future.

Parisian gastronomic meeting

Surely the peace negotiations after three years of fighting, and hundreds of thousands of deaths to achieve nothing, would be a very hard blow for Zelensky before the elections or even during a possible electoral campaign. He would present himself as the loser in the affair. If Peace wants to continue, the parties should define an adequate exit strategy for the Ukrainian president, otherwise the risk of sabotage of it, with the support of some European institutions, would be high. If the transition is to be smooth, it is necessary to identify an exit strategy for him and for a piece of the European elite.

The meeting in Saudi Arabia marks a turning point in relations between Russia and the United States, with the agreement to reopen their respective diplomatic missions and start economic and geopolitical negotiations. A thaw that inevitably passes through the Ukrainian issue and which could have disruptive consequences on the European geopolitical balance. However, we need to decide what to do with Zelensky and a hyper-interventionist European political class, especially the one residing in Brussels. Where do you send them to retire?

Zelensky article near end? Elections imposed by the USA and Russia could cost him his power. And Europe… comes from Economic Scenarios .

This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/zelensky-vicino-alla-fine-elezioni-imposte-da-usa-e-russia-potrebbero-costargli-il-potere-e-leuropa/ on Wed, 19 Feb 2025 07:00:42 +0000.