Ex-Trump advisor calls Ukrainian president “thoroughly corrupt” Urges US pressure to end war

The United States should compel Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to both end the conflict with Russia and hold presidential elections, according to US President Donald Trump’s former advisor Steve Cortes. 

Cortes made the statement on the social media platform X, saying:

“Pres Trump is exactly correct. Zelensky is thoroughly corrupt, and must be forced by the United States to both end the war AND have elections in Ukraine!”

Earlier, Trump himself urged Zelenskyy to realistically assess the situation in the ongoing conflict. He also highlighted widespread corruption in Ukraine and questioned the country’s democratic status due to the absence of elections.

“They haven’t had an election in a long time,” Trump told POLITICO. “You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”

In response, Zelenskyy stressed that he is not clinging to the presidency but noted that holding elections during the ongoing war is currently unfeasible. He explained that two key issues must be resolved before elections can take place, with ensuring the necessary security being the primary concern.

The call for elections comes as Washington seeks a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. At the same time, Zelenskyy faces domestic turbulence following a recent political scandal. Andriy Yermak, head of the office of the president of Ukraine, resigned last month after anti-corruption investigators raided his home. Upon Yermak’s resignation, Zelenskyy thanked him for “always presenting the Ukrainian position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be.”

Trump has previously criticised Zelenskyy for avoiding elections. In February, he referred to the Ukrainian president as a “dictator without elections” on Truth Social, adding:

“He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden 'like a fiddle.' A dictator without elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a country left.”

By Tamilla Hasanova