Trump Hints Russia Sanctions & Explores Options To Remove Zelensky.
Trump’s Sanctions Threat Against Russia.
At the end of a tumultuous week, there is a potential silver lining—Donald Trump has hinted that he may finally be prepared to impose some restrictions and costs on Russia.
In a Truth social post, he stated that because Russia was “pounding” Ukraine on the battlefield, he was considering new “large scale” sanctions on Russia.
(side note: within the past couple of weeks, this is the closest Trump has ever come to acknowledging Russia as an aggressor in this war. Yet even here, it is framed as a neutral analysis of battlefield conditions rather than an explicit assignment of blame.)
Trump indicated that he would be willing to impose sanctions and tariffs, including measures targeting Russia’s banking sector, in an effort to pressure Moscow into negotiations.
He then attempted to position himself as an impartial arbitrator between Russia and Ukraine, as if there were no clear ally or adversary in the conflict.
Now, while this potential step against Russia is notable and, in certainly most welcome, it is crucial to remember that Trump is, in effect, merely threatening to impose costs on Russia, while at the same time exerting actual maximum pressure on Ukraine.
His approach thus far has been to deny Ukraine vital military aid and intelligence-sharing, effectively squeezing Kyiv far more than Moscow.
But setting aside this minor shift regarding Russia, the most significant development of the week is the revelation that the Trump administration has been actively exploring ways to topple the Zelensky government - seeking potential collaborators in Ukraine to achieve this goal.
Trump Admin’s Disgraceful Attempt To Explore Removal Of Zelensky.
Reports have surfaced suggesting that officials within the Trump administration have sought discussions with Ukrainian opposition leaders and politicians to explore ways of challenging and removing President Volodymyr Zelensky.
These were later confirmed by said opposition leaders and former President Petro Poroshenko (who to his credit, rejected the proposals and publicly reaffirmed commitment to martial law that precludes wartime elections - more on that later below).
This marks an alarming escalation in Trump’s posture toward Ukraine and raises profound questions about his strategic objectives in the region.
This move would potentially pave the way for an electoral challenge to Zelensky.
While precise details remain unclear, there is substantial evidence that multiple Ukrainian opposition figures have been approached.
Perhaps the goal is to work towards either repealing or modifying Ukraine’s martial law, which currently prohibits elections during wartime - again, we don’t know the details - only intent.
To be very clear, this development represents a disgraceful act of political interference.
While the United States has a history of regime change operations, particularly during the Cold War, those efforts—however controversial—were at least framed as part of national security interests against adversarial regimes allied with the Soviet Union.
But attempting to undermine a democratically elected government of an allied nation actively at war with a global superpower marks an extraordinary breach of diplomatic norms and trust.
The implications of this maneuver are severe, with at least three immediate consequences:
1. An Insult and a Warning to Allies and Ukrainians.
This move represents a direct insult to both the Ukrainian people and European allies who have stood firmly behind Zelensky.
To Ukrainian people: Zelensky was democratically elected and remains one of the most popular leaders in Ukraine, despite enduring three years of war and economic hardship.
And even if he were unpopular, the principle of sovereignty dictates that it is up to Ukrainians—not a foreign power—to decide their leadership.
The U.S. would be engaging in the same conduct as Russia, seeking regime change for its own political ends. The only difference would be in the means, not the objective: securing a more favorable government.
To European Allies: European leaders have not only backed Zelensky as Ukraine’s legitimate leader but also deeply admire and respect him.
In just the past couple of weeks, Zelensky has met with EU officials, attended the London Summit, and engaged with leaders like Turkish President Erdogan, who reaffirmed Turkey’s support for Ukraine.
By attempting to remove Zelensky, Trump’s team is undermining the resilience and stability of a government at war - thus directly interfering in European security matters, weakening the Western front against Russia’s aggression.
A Warning to Other U.S. Allies: This sends a dangerous precedent to other U.S. partners worldwide.
Imagine being the Prime Minister of Japan or the President of the Philippines, both facing a rising China.
If Trump is willing to undermine a wartime ally in Ukraine, what assurances do they have that he won’t attempt the same in their countries if they make a decision he disapproves of?
This increases uncertainty and erodes U.S. credibility as a reliable ally.
By attempting to coerce Ukraine into political instability, Trump’s team is damaging U.S. national security by undermining allied trust in Washington’s commitments.
2. Strengthening Putin’s Narrative and Playing Into Kremlin Propaganda.
This move ironically serves to reinforce Putin’s long-standing narrative about Ukraine’s political developments being orchestrated by Washington.
For years, Putin has falsely claimed that the 2013–2014 Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine was not an organic movement led by Ukrainians demanding closer ties with the EU, but rather a CIA-backed coup.
The reality, of course, is that the revolution was driven by hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians protesting then-President Yanukovych’s decision to abandon an EU association agreement in favor of aligning with Moscow.
The fact that Yanukovych fled to Moscow at the first opportunity only reinforced his subservience to the Kremlin.
However, by attempting to engineer political change in Ukraine today, Trump’s team risks giving credibility to Putin’s false claims.
Kremlin propaganda will weaponize this attempt as proof that the U.S. has always interfered in Ukrainian politics, undermining Ukraine’s position in the information war.
This could be used to further destabilize Ukraine domestically, inflaming opposition narratives that claim Ukraine is merely a pawn of Western powers.
Of course all of this is nonsense: if the CIA were truly capable of orchestrating coups in Ukraine as Putin claims, Trump’s officials wouldn’t need to directly negotiate with opposition figures now to remove Zelensky.
This contradiction exposes the falsehood of Russia’s propaganda, but the damage has already been done—Trump’s actions are giving the Kremlin a powerful talking point to use against Ukraine and the West.
3. Further Incentivizing Putin’s Maximalist War Aims.
Trump’s apparent hostility toward Zelensky—going as far as attempting to engineer his removal—directly emboldens Russia’s insistence on maximalist political objectives in Ukraine.
If Trump’s team is actively working toward the same goal that Putin has pursued for three years—removing Zelensky—why should Putin compromise on anything?
And why should he give up on his insistence that the ‘‘Kyiv regime’’ be replaced as a precondition for a substantive peace deal?
For three years, Russia has attempted to assassinate Zelensky and other key Ukrainian figures, failing each time.
Now, if Washington itself is attempting to politically weaken or replace Zelensky, Putin can argue that before any peace talks happen, there must be a new, “legitimate” government in Kyiv.
This allows Russia to stall indefinitely.
If Putin demands that negotiations can only occur after a “legitimate” Ukrainian government is formed—one that Trump might help orchestrate—he can delay the process indefinitely until the right conditions are met.
Trump’s hostility to Zelensky gives Putin a green light.
If Trump is already conceding key points, from halting military aid to sidelining Zelensky, why should Russia offer any real concessions?
Instead, they will simply wait for further divisions to unfold.
Indeed, the latest signals from Russia confirm this emboldened posture: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently stated that it would be “unacceptable” for EU peacekeepers to monitor any ceasefire or armistice agreement.
This hardline stance suggests that Moscow is gearing up for prolonged conflict, avoiding any neutral monitoring forces that might restrict Russian operations.
(side note: backpedalling on such a strong position will come with extreme credibility costs for Russians. As such, it is unlikely that this u-turn will take place anytime soon.)
Putin’s own statements during his recent meeting with the mothers of fallen Russian soldiers reinforce this view.
When pressed not to give any concessions to Ukraine, Putin reiterated his absolute refusal, stating that Russia would pursue its objectives with full force.
Consequently, Trump’s unwillingness to stand by Zelensky is now providing Putin with fresh leverage to demand greater concessions from Ukraine and its allies.
The idea of removing Zelensky—a demand long pushed by the Kremlin—has now gained new political legitimacy in Russian discourse, thanks to Trump’s own actions.
Ukraine’s Response To “Regime Change” Threats: Zelensky’s Tactical Silence, Strategic Pushback From Other Key Players.
The Ukrainian government itself has not yet officially responded to these revelations.
This is a calculated decision from Zelensky.
After his direct confrontation with Trump last week, Zelensky is now choosing restraint, prioritizing efforts to restore U.S. military aid rather than escalating the dispute.
Key diplomatic engagements are underway, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where next Monday Ukrainian and U.S. teams will be negotiating a critical minerals deal that could help keep the aid pipeline open.
But at the time that Zelensky remains diplomatically cautious, other high-profile Ukrainian figures have strongly pushed back.
Valeriy Zaluzhny’s Strategic Warning to Trump.
Among the most notable responses comes from Valeriy Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s former Commander-in-Chief Of The Armed Forces and one of the most highly respected figures in the country.
His political significance cannot be overstated: Zaluzhny is Ukraine’s most admired military leader, and if presidential elections were held today, he would be the most likely successor to Zelensky.
His approval ratings are exceptionally high, surpassing even Zelensky’s in most polls.
Speaking at Chatham House in London, Zaluzhny - currently Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK - delivered a direct rebuke to Trump: He did not adopt Zelensky’s diplomatic language about the need for peace.
Instead, he emphasized the necessity of stopping Russian aggression—signaling a hardened stance that stands in direct contrast to Trump’s appeasement tendencies.
Most significantly, Zaluzhny accused the U.S. itself of “destroying” global order—a stunning diplomatic statement from a Ukrainian figure of his stature.
The message to Trump is clear: even if he succeeds in removing Zelensky, he will not get a weaker or more compliant leader in Kyiv.
Instead, he will face an even tougher, more hardline leader dedicated to Ukraine’s total victory over Russia.
If Trump’s strategy was to engineer a more “cooperative” Ukrainian government, Zaluzhny has now made it crystal clear: that won’t happen.
In addition to Zaluzhny, no major Ukrainian opposition figures have expressed any appetite to work with Trump behind Zelensky’s back.
Former President Petro Poroshenko and his followers have firmly rejected Trump’s advances - insisting that no elections be held under martial law.
Other significant opposition figures have also distanced themselves from any such cooperation.
For now, this effectively blocks Trump’s attempt to sow political chaos in Ukraine.
Even if Zelensky’s government faced an electoral challenge, the leading opposition figures are refusing to align with Trump, ensuring that his efforts to destabilize the government will fail.
Ukraine’s Institutional Legitimacy Remains Strong.
Trump’s efforts to undermine Zelensky’s legitimacy are fundamentally misguided and doomed to fail.
Ukraine’s martial law prohibits elections during wartime.
Zelensky’s term has been extended legally under emergency war powers.
Just weeks ago, Ukraine’s parliament unanimously reaffirmed Zelensky’s legitimacy, with not a single vote against him—an extraordinary sign of national unity despite the ongoing war.
If Trump questions Zelensky’s legitimacy because of wartime election delays, then by that logic, Winston Churchill’s Britain was also a dictatorship during World War II.
A Catastrophic Strategic Blunder: Undermining Ukraine’s War Effort and Encouraging Russian Aggression.
This interference does not just destabilize Ukraine politically—it has direct battlefield consequences.
Zelensky is leading a nation fighting for its survival.
The war is now in its fourth year, with Ukrainian forces continuing to hold off Russian advances on multiple fronts.
Removing or even just weakening Zelensky politically at this moment could fracture Ukraine’s unity, disrupt military command structures, and lead to policy paralysis in Kyiv.
Russia would immediately exploit the uncertainty, intensifying its offensive efforts and pressing harder to capitalize on political instability.
Additionally, Trump’s broader policies—pausing military aid and cutting off intelligence-sharing—already weaken Ukraine’s position.
By going further and attempting to orchestrate a political coup, the Trump team is effectively giving Russia the upper hand both militarily and diplomatically.
This move sends a message that Washington is unreliable, further emboldening Putin to escalate.
Trump’s maneuvering in Ukraine represents one of the most damaging foreign policy blunders in recent U.S. history.
It alienates allies, weakens U.S. credibility, indirectly reinforces Putin’s disinformation, and directly endangers Ukraine’s war effort at a critical time.
This exceptionally foolish pursuit must be stopped immediately before it irreparably undermines Western unity and jeopardizes Ukraine’s ability to resist Russian aggression.
No limit to Trump's mendacity....