US moves to oust Zelensky as Trump and Musk issue ultimatum

An ultimatum attributed to Trump and Musk is pressuring Zelensky to call elections, amid the breakdown of negotiations in the United States and cross-border attacks on the ground.

Pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky has escalated. An ultimatum attributed to Donald Trump and Elon Musk proposes removing him from office and raises the question of whether Ukraine will hold elections in the middle of a war. Negotiations with Washington have been suspended, and the standoff is playing out on several fronts at once.

## An ultimatum from Washington

The threat is not just rhetoric: talks with the United States have been suspended and Trump's team is demanding a political gesture from Zelensky. The proposal circulating calls for elections to be held, something Ukrainian law prohibits while martial law remains in force. Zelensky has responded by linking any election to security guarantees and to Trump's role in the negotiations.

## The front does not pause: St Petersburg and the Dniester

While the issue is debated in back rooms, a drone has struck the **Leningrad** region, with St Petersburg as the epicenter of the attack. In parallel, Ukrainian border guards have entered **Moldova**, an incident that complicates the southwestern flank and adds another player to the equation.

## Lviv, Sumy and Kharkiv: the war is also administrative

In Lviv, a residential complex has been closed off to IT specialists by decision of the recruitment center. In **Sumy**, **10 million UAH** have been allocated to repair the recruitment center building. At the entrance to **Kharkiv**, recruitment checks have been intensified. Mobilization has become economic policy: it affects the labor market and investment.

## What it means for Ukraine and its partners

European funding and the treatment of refugees are part of the standoff. Zelensky has linked both issues to Trump's pressure. The Ukrainian opposition is debating the president's status. None of this is an announced surrender, but the room for maneuver is narrowing. Any decision on elections or military aid should be read with caution: these are ongoing legal and diplomatic matters.