The US president could exploit the Ukrainian leader’s “weakness” following a major corruption scandal to push him into concessions, the report says
US President Donald Trump is pressuring Vladimir Zelensky to cede territory to Russia in an effort to end the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, Bild has claimed, citing anonymous sources.
On Saturday, the German outlet reported that the White House is “exerting intense pressure on [the Ukrainian leader] to extract concessions.” According to the publication, the US president could “exploit [Zelensky’s] domestic weakness following a corruption scandal.”
Last month, Ukraine’s Western-backed anti-graft agencies announced preliminary findings from a probe into the alleged extortion of about $100 million in the energy sector by figures linked to Zelensky’s inner circle. Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk and Justice Minister German Galushchenko stepped down amid the scandal, followed by Zelensky’s top aide and close associate Andrey Yermak.
Bild claimed that US-mediated peace negotiations are at their most advanced stage since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Trump is said to be seeking a deal between Moscow and Kiev in the near future, with Christmas reportedly set as a deadline.
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