DISINFO: Zelenskyy is politically finished after the meeting with Trump
SUMMARY
Zelensky will have to start peace talks after the failed US meeting. He will have to take steps towards peace negotiations or disappear from politics altogether because he achieved nothing during his meeting with the US President.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative targeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, portraying him as politically finished and unwilling to participate in peace negotiations.
Whereas no formal announcements or breakthroughs came out of Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting in Washington on Friday 17th October, the Ukrainian leader continues to maintain a firm stance on peace negotiations requiring strong security guarantees before any ceasefire or negotiations involving Russia. Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains open to peace talks but rejects terms negotiated without Ukraine's full participation. His approach is focused on securing Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
By portraying Zelenskyy as “politically finished”, this disinformation story tries to erode his leadership and undermine his continuity in power. Russia has always perceived President Zelenskyy as an obstacle to its aggressive goals in Ukraine, even before the invasion. To learn more about the pro-Kremlin smears targeting President Zelenskyy, please see our article Why is the Kremlin so hung up on smearing Zelenskyy?
The claim also ignores the fact that Russia has shown little genuine interest in real negotiations. This is evident in the growing number of air attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Russia’s bombing patterns show a clear intensification of drone and missile strikes since the inauguration of Donald Trump in January 2025, with multiple spikes following diplomatic talks and contacts. This pattern proves that Russia’s supposed commitment to peace negotiations is nothing more than a PR stunt aimed at garnering support for its war of aggression in Ukraine.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Russia keeps a constructive stance in negotiations in contrast to Ukraine’s theatre, that Zelenskyy is increasingly irrelevant, even in Ukraine, that Zelensky is an actor who reads a script as part of a play, or that Zelensky is not working in the interests of Ukrainians but to please the European elites.