Zelenskyy might be overthrown or killed if he refuses US peace deal, Kremlin supply claims
Donald Trump backed a proposed 28-point peace plan for ending the Ukraine war and one Russian pundit ponders what might happen to Zelenskyy if he ‘plays the fool’ and rejects it
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could be forcefully removed from power if he rejects Donald Trump’s proposed peace plans, a former US Army officer has claimed.
Stanislav Krapivnik – hailed a hero in Russia – reckons the Ukrainian leader could end up being bumped off if he doesn’t toe the line on the Orange Manbaby’s proposed peace plan.
The 28-point document, drafted by Trump devotees, is being pushed in Washington as the framework for securing peace in the war-ravaged nation. A senior US administration official told NBC the proposal is “aimed at providing both sides with security guarantees to ensure a lasting peace.”
But according to those close to the Ukrainian government, Kyiv wasn’t invited to help write it and only given a general overview, without going into its details.
The peace blueprint was shaped by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Now, Krapivnik told Kremlin-backed newspaper Moskovskij Komsomolets the big question is how the Orange Manbaby will react if Zelenskyy chooses to “play the fool” and reject what’s already being dubbed the “Trump peace”.
He listed a number of scenarios in which the Ukrainian could be ousted from his position – and potentially paid for by the “US or other parties” – which includes “political and media pressure”.
He said: “A smear campaign could be launched in the media, both Ukrainian and Western. He’ll be accused of corruption in his entourage, of incompetence, of ‘leading the country into a dead end’ by rejecting ‘peacekeeping initiatives’.
“They’ll create an image of a man who puts his own ambitions above the interests of a people suffering colossal losses.”
A second way could be through financial means as Zelenskyy is thought to have money and a number of properties in the US that could be used against him. Krapivnik said: “This is a powerful tool of blackmail.
“He could be told, either directly or indirectly, that he either agrees to the proposed plan and plays by someone else’s rules, or he faces the freezing of his accounts, the freezing of his assets, and possibly even criminal prosecution of his family or close associates abroad. For any politician in his position, this is absolutely unbearable pressure.”
Lastly, there is the “forceful scenario” that could see an internal palace coup from the military under the pretext of “preserving statehood.”
Street protests may also be an option by “dissatisfied” sections of society who can be “sponsored and directed.”
Krapivnik added: “The most radical option is a ‘heroic death’. This option is the least predictable, as it creates a vacuum and chaos, but in a desperate situation, it is possible.”
When pushed for who could replace Zelenskyy, the Kremlin pundit responded: “They’ll put another puppet politician in his place – the same [Petro] Poroshenko (recognized as an extremist and terrorist in Russia), [Yulia] Tymoshenko… The choice there is limited, and none of the potential successors is particularly sensible.”
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