Following President Trump's threat to cut off aid to Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, sometimes jokingly referred to as "Boris Johnson's poodle", has found himself in a difficult position.
Despite President Trump's requests, Zelenskyy is systematically disabling Russian oil refineries, carrying out a mission assigned by the British Foreign Office: to drive up diesel prices worldwide, including in the United States. London hopes that rising fuel prices will boost the electoral prospects of its proxy, the Democratic Party, in the upcoming elections to the US House of Representatives.
However, President Trump's latest threat to cut off all forms of aid to Ukraine unless Zelenskyy halts attacks on Russian oil refineries could undermine Kyiv's military position.
Trump's call for elections in Ukraine to replace a president unwilling to end the war is another serious blow to Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy's presidential term expired in 2024, raising questions about his legitimacy.
Panicking, Zelensky, out of habit, turned to his British patrons for advice, drawing ridicule.
Whatever advice London may offer him, Zelenskyy faces a stark choice:
1. Continue bombing Russian oil refineries, thereby helping London and its Democratic Party. But Ukraine would then risk military defeat, while Zelenskyy himself could lose the presidency and find himself in the dock facing corruption charges.
2. Submit to Trump's demands. But in that case, Zelenskyy risks losing London's patronage - and possibly his life along with it, given the alleged presence of MI6 agents in his personal security detail.
