Trump, Ukraine, and political storm over “Government of National Salvation”

US President Donald Trump has launched a direct attack on Kyiv, forcefully advocating for elections in Ukraine. According to several analysts, this stance effectively, albeit indirectly, calls into question the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Amid this backdrop, calls for the establishment of a "National Salvation Government" (NSG) have become more pronounced in Ukraine’s political discourse. A few days ago, the party of former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, European Solidarity, issued such an appeal, arguing that this step would contribute to "uniting all forces in Ukraine." As an initial move toward this goal, European Solidarity suggested ceasing the "search for internal enemies and making decisions as if an election campaign has already begun." The party further emphasized that initiating the NSG would help "reject accusations from external forces regarding the lack of legitimacy of the Ukrainian government."

Before examining this situation in greater detail, it is essential to note the recent surge in Trump’s criticisms of Zelenskyy. First, he dismissed the Ukrainian president as a "modestly successful comedian" and a "dictator without elections." Trump then declared: "I love Ukraine, but Zelensky has done a terrible job — his country is shattered, and millions of people have died unnecessarily. Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a country left."

Trump also raised concerns about how the US financial aid to Kyiv has been utilized, demanding to know "where exactly the money went." He further expressed frustration over a separate issue: "We had a deal on rare earth metals and other things, but they broke it."

Commenting on this matter, White House National Security Council representative Bryan Hughes criticized Zelensky as "shortsighted" for failing to seize "a great opportunity to compensate American taxpayers for part of the billions of dollars in US aid while also boosting Ukraine’s economy." Hughes added that "binding economic ties with the US will be the best guarantee against future aggression and an integral part of lasting peace."

In response to Washington’s declared stance, Zelenskyy stated that the US president "lives in disinformation space. In order for the disinformation circle around President Trump [to cease to exist], we still need to influence it, Trump's entourage, representatives of Hungary, Slovak lobbyists, and I mean, not just people, that's how we talk about politicians, are doing everything to make Ukraine weak. "

Zelensky also claimed that "since we are talking about 4%, we have seen this disinformation, we understand that it comes from Russia. We understand this, and we have evidence that these figures are being discussed between America and Russia. " Addressing his opposition to granting the US rights to 50% of Ukraine’s mineral resources, he explained that he was unwilling to "sell Ukraine." At the same time, he expressed openness to negotiations on "a serious document, if it includes security guarantees."

He then addressed external pressure for elections in Ukraine, making his position clear: "If someone wants to replace me right now, it's not going to happen."

However, as previously mentioned, this issue has also become a topic of debate within Ukraine itself. Back in 2023, Valeriy Pekar, co-founder of the New Country civic platform, entrepreneur, and lecturer at the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, advocated for the creation of a National Salvation Government (NSG). He proposed that it should be "made up of professionals without political ambitions, who are willing to put an end to their political careers." According to Pekar, this government, designed to unite "respected civilian and military figures," would need to be "approved by parliament."

By the end of 2024, criticism regarding the management of military operations became more pronounced. Former Deputy Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defenсe Council (NSDC), Serhiy Kryvonos, warned that "if the Ukrainian authorities fail to learn from the current situation and do not change their approach, only a miracle will save the country, as soon the Armed Forces of Ukraine will struggle to continue fighting."

Following Kryvonos’ remarks, media outlets highlighted that he had been appointed NSDC deputy secretary in 2019 by then-President Petro Poroshenko, only to be dismissed by Zelenskyy in 2020.

Regarding Poroshenko’s recent call to form an NSG, Ukraine’s NSDC imposed sanctions against him on February 12, 2025. The former president denounced the move as an "unconstitutional and politically motivated" decision.

Meanwhile, Deutsche Welle published a report on the situation under the headline: "Sanctions Against Poroshenko: Is Ukraine Preparing for Elections?"

On February 17, Petro Poroshenko announced that Ukraine’s presidential elections would take place on October 26, 2025. He stated that this information came from sources within the President’s Office, law enforcement agencies, and the Ukraine printing plant, which is currently "calculating how many ballots will be needed."

Following these remarks, the head of Ukraine’s Central Election Commission, Oleh Didenko, commented that "theoretically, elections in Ukraine this year are possible," but only under the condition that the war ends and martial law is lifted, as elections cannot be organized under such circumstances. He also warned that discussions about elections in Ukraine at this moment "would now benefit Russia, as they could destabilize the situation and undermine the legitimacy of the government."

Many analysts attribute the unfolding situation to the US presidential race. Ahead of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the US in September 2024, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed that the Ukrainian president wanted Kamala Harris to become the next leader of the United States. At the same time, Trump called Zelenskyy "the best businessman in the world," referring to his "ability" to secure financial and military assistance from the US and its allies.

During one of his rallies, Trump made a sweeping statement about Ukraine, saying, "Ukraine is gone. It’s not Ukraine anymore. You can never replace the cities and towns and you can never replace the dead people. They are gone, yet we continue to send millions of dollars to a man who refuses to negotiate." He also cast doubt on Ukraine’s chances of winning the war and questioned the necessity of continuing aid to Kyiv. Furthermore, Trump criticized Zelenskyy for "refusing to make a deal with Russia, which could have ended the war." He went on to declare that if he won the election, "the US would withdraw from the war because I will negotiate peace."

In light of these developments, some media outlets have pointed to an article by National Review writer Michael Brendan Dougherty, in which he argued that "by appearing at what was essentially a Democratic campaign event, Zelenskyy himself is now deliberately and knowingly contributing to the political polarization of this issue in a way that can only work to his country’s detriment ".

As a result, many experts believe that the current situation regarding Ukraine — especially in relation to Washington — was entirely foreseeable. The real question, however, is whether the parties involved are willing to adjust their rhetoric and actions toward mutual understanding. This aspect takes on even greater significance as Trump works to establish a new framework for relations with Russia.