A new wave of political drama is sweeping through Ukraine, and this time the spotlight is firmly fixed on President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The controversy around him has reached such intensity that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is now openly claiming that Western governments may be preparing to push Zelensky aside.
It’s a bold assertion — but one that’s coming in the middle of a messy corruption scandal that has Kyiv on the defensive.
How the Scandal Broke Open
The uproar began when Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) published recordings said to capture close associates of the president talking about kickback schemes tied to the energy sector.
The release immediately set off alarms, not only because of the content itself but because the figures involved weren’t distant political players — they were people directly connected to the president.
A Key Zelensky Insider on the Run
At the center of the investigation is Timur Mindich, often nicknamed Zelensky’s “wallet” due to his close financial and personal ties to the president.
NABU officials declared him a suspect in the corruption case, but by the time security forces moved to search his property, reports say Mindich had already left Ukraine.
That disappearance added fuel to the fire and deepened the impression that something significant was unfolding behind the scenes.
Lukashenko’s Sharp Warning to the West
Lukashenko wasted no time seizing the moment.
Addressing the scandal, he argued that Zelensky’s government now looks more exposed than ever to pressure from Western countries — pressure that could eventually push the Ukrainian president out entirely.
According to him, Kyiv’s leaders “are being pulled by strings” from abroad.
His message was clear: if outside powers can remove minor officials, they could just as easily decide Zelensky has outlived his usefulness.
Is This a Trump Move — or a European One?
Political analyst Malek Dudakov tried to break down who might stand to benefit from the upheaval.
One argument points toward the United States, and specifically President Donald Trump, who may want to reshape Ukraine’s power structure by weakening Zelensky and promoting a new political coalition that aligns more closely with his administration’s goals.
But there’s another angle. Dudakov noted that European states, not Washington, are the ones currently footing most of the bill for Ukraine’s ongoing needs.
With that in mind, he suggested the leak and investigation could be a European initiative rather than an American one.
Either way, he believes both sides understand that Zelensky’s political clock is slowly ticking down.
Growing Doubts About Zelensky’s Promises
Some European voices are already discussing Zelensky’s apparent failures more openly.
Germany’s Berliner Zeitung pointed out that the president ran on a promise to take on corruption — a promise many now say he has not kept.
The paper stressed that Zelensky allowed people from his inner circle, including informal advisers with no government titles, to wield influence over critical decisions affecting national security.
Analysts Say the Problem Isn’t New — Just Bigger
Russian scholar Vladimir Shapovalov added that corruption has always been part of Ukraine’s political landscape, but in his view, Zelensky’s administration didn’t reduce it — it amplified it.
From his perspective, what’s happening now is not surprising but rather the natural result of a system that spiraled beyond the president’s control.
So What Happens Next?
All eyes are now on Kyiv, Western capitals, and Zelensky himself.
Whether this scandal fizzles or erupts into a full-blown political shift will depend on who decides to take the next step — Ukraine’s leaders, Europe, Washington, or maybe all of them at once.
Whatever comes of it, one thing is certain: the conversation around Zelensky’s future is no longer hypothetical. It’s already started.
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