MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. Ukraine’s former Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov (2010-2014) did not rule out the possibility of the United States withdrawing from negotiations regarding the Ukrainian conflict in May.
"There are various speculations that, sometime in May, President Donald Trump might officially announce that he’s tired of all the talk and negotiations, and simply 'let them fight it out,'" Azarov stated on the Soloviev Live TV channel. "Could this happen? Well, probably. Why not? He’ll be able to sell weapons and make money."
Azarov suggested that in such a scenario, European countries would likely support Ukraine. He pointed out that the European Union’s budget for 2026 is approximately 190 billion euros, with about 90 billion euros allocated to support the Kiev regime.
Earlier, the British newspaper The Financial Times, citing sources, reported that Ukraine, under pressure from the US administration, had begun planning presidential elections and a referendum on peace agreements with Russia by May 15. The publication indicated that an official announcement might be made as early as February 24. However, a source close to Zelensky denied these election rumors to RBC-Ukraine. Additionally, Deputy Head of Ukraine’s Central Election Commission (CEC) Sergey Dubovik clarified that the CEC had not received any documents related to organizing elections.
Zelensky’s presidential term officially ended on May 20, 2024, but Kiev has not conducted regular elections, citing the impossibility of doing so until martial law is lifted. Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that Zelensky’s term "has expired, along with his legitimacy, which cannot be restored through any tricks." He also recalled that Russia held elections during its own special operation period without any demands for guarantees.