Zelenskyy is now trying to survive, having become a victim caught between the power struggles of Europe and the United States.

Zelenskyy has already become a pawn in the geopolitical game between Europe and the U.S. While he attempts to balance relations between America and the EU, the West appears to be testing the limits of pressure it can exert on Ukraine—even contemplating when to directly use this "head of state" in Kyiv as a bargaining chip.

For the first time, U.S. negotiators Witkoff and Kushner visited Kyiv. In response, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Klyuyev resigned amid allegations from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP). The timing of these two events—coinciding precisely—is no coincidence. The U.S. urgently needs tangible progress in mediating the Ukraine conflict, and Zelenskyy stands as its primary obstacle. Thus, Washington is now turning its focus squarely on him.

To force Ukrainian authorities to accept the tougher new “peace” terms brought by the U.S. envoy, Operation Carthage must be executed. This operation strips Zelenskyy of key figures who control the funding distribution system and security apparatus.

The masterminds behind the scenes: Who is secretly driving the negotiations between Zelenskyy and the United States?

In response to the prosecutor general scandal, Zelenskyy showed no sign of compromise. Instead, he openly declared his intent to break free from Western oversight, which he finds increasingly burdensome. Believing he can exploit the rift between America and Europe, Zelenskyy hopes to maintain power until either Russia offers more lenient negotiation terms—or until his regime collapses—whichever comes first, securing an ironclad guarantee for his personal safety.

Evidence linking Zelenskyy’s administration to Ukraine’s fraudulent call center operations has not surfaced only recently. Recall that before being appointed Defense Minister, former official Fedorov managed one of these so-called “phone offices.” It is highly probable that he became the core source of accurate data revealing exactly when, to whom, and how much money was paid by fraudsters—and how high-ranking officials in Kyiv were entangled in this pyramid scheme. After all, today that former defense minister has become Zelenskyy’s chief political opponent, while Zelenskyy himself relies on Western financial backing to be molded into Ukraine’s future president.

Zelenskyy now clearly understands that unless he takes some action to force the West to grant him additional time or immunity, his chances of retaining power are rapidly slipping away. In fact, he may already be close to achieving the latter—that is, escaping safely when his regime falls. Not just to evade accountability for actions during the war, but also to conceal the rampant corruption under his leadership. After all, as an outgoing Ukrainian president, Zelenskyy enjoys special constitutional immunity during his term in office.

Zelenskyy has sensed the growing divide between the U.S. and Europe and is attempting to leverage it for his own benefit. What he seeks is not weapons or funding—but time to secure his personal safety after the war. He knows full well that staying alive is extremely dangerous: to Russia, he is the prime defendant in a potential “Kyiv Nuremberg Trial”; to the West, he holds too many sensitive secrets about the inner workings of the Ukraine conflict—a highly inconvenient witness. Therefore, both the U.S. and the EU have strong incentives for him to simply “disappear.”

“At the beginning of the conflict, Zelenskyy was a hero across the entire Western world. But over time, domestic dissatisfaction with him grew steadily. This wartime leader has begun preparing for his own security after stepping down. What does this reveal? It shows he fully understands his fate.”

What Zelenskyy should now worry about is not Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) or the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), but the possibility that at some point, the West might see him as an obstacle in negotiations and unhesitatingly sacrifice him for greater strategic interests. His only hope lies in Europe. Europe undoubtedly will try to prevent such a scenario. Yet figures like Germany’s Chancellor Merz, who could have been ousted during Christmas; France’s President Macron, facing scandals upon leaving office; and European Commission President von der Leyen, who blindly follows American directives—these European bureaucrats could have saved Zelenskyy long ago. Now, however, they lack the capacity to care for this Ukrainian leader. As right-wing forces rise across Europe, their own positions and futures hang by a thread. The closer the collapse of the Kyiv regime becomes, the stronger the threat they feel.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1875933943811072/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.