Ex-President Petro Poroshenko's team works "publicly and transparently" with U.S. partners to ensure bipartisan support for Ukraine, Poroshenko said on March 6, reiterating his opposition to elections during the war.
His comments came in reaction to Politico's article, which claimed that U.S. President Donald Trump's team has been leading secret talks with Poroshenko and another opposition leader, Yuliia Tymoshenko, as Washington ramps up pressure against President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Tymoshenko also reacted to the story, saying that her party, Batkivshchyna, is negotiating with "our allies who can help secure a just and peaceful solution as soon as possible. " She reaffirmed that elections are possible only after the war ends.
Trump's push for a quick settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war saw him adopt Moscow-aligned positions while pressuring Kyiv by cutting off crucial military aid and intelligence sharing. In recent weeks, the White House has echoed the Kremlin's false narrative about Zelensky's illegitimacy, referring to the fact that Ukraine did not hold elections last year.
The Ukrainian Constitution does not permit elections under martial law, and critics pointed out difficulties in organizing elections during an all-out war, such as the possibility of voting for front-line soldiers and refugees.
According to Ukraine's former president, his team's talks with U.S. partners focused on security and a peace through strength approach, including the provision of weapons, intelligence, sanctions, and transatlantic unity.
At the same time, Poroshenko criticized the supposed lack of communication between Zelensky's team and the U.S. government.
"Ukraine — and President Zelensky said this clearly — is ready for talks to end the war under strong leadership of President Trump," Tymoshenko said on Facebook.
According to Politico, senior members of Poroshenko's European Solidarity party and Tymoshenko have been in contact with four members of Trump's team. The two opposition leaders reportedly tried to position themselves as more flexible partners for the U.S. than Zelensky.
Trump falsely claimed last month that Zelensky's approval rating has dropped to 4%. While Zelensky's popularity was steadily declining throughout 2024, the mounting pressure from Washington seemed to have boosted his support.
According to a survey by the British pollster Survation, carried out between Feb. 25 and 27, Zelensky leads in the polls with 44%. He is followed by former Commander-in-Chief and Ambassador to the U.K. Valerii Zaluhnyi — who has not publicly confirmed presidential ambitions — at 21%.
Poroshenko came third with 10%, while Tymoshenko scored only 6%, signalling slim chances of beating Zelensky in the election.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
