It's Not About Zelenskyy: Why Ukraine Will Continue To Resist

• 22.10.2026, 16:35

The main obstacle to peace is Putin.

Calls by U.S. President Donald Trump to replace Ukraine’s leadership will not lead to peace on the Kremlin’s terms. Ukraine is resisting Russian aggression not for the sake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but to preserve its independence and national identity. Even a change of government in Kyiv will not force Ukrainians to agree to a deal that would leave the country without reliable security guarantees, writes Atlantic Council.

Trump stated that Ukraine needs a different leader to negotiate with Russia. He was backed by billionaire Elon Musk, who wrote on October 15: “It’s time for Zelenskyy to step down.” Similar statements are coming from Moscow as well. The Kremlin regularly portrays the Ukrainian president as the main obstacle to a peace agreement.

However, the facts of the negotiations suggest otherwise. Zelenskyy agreed to all ceasefire proposals put forward by the U.S., while Moscow rejected them.

The main obstacle to peace is not the Ukrainian president himself, but the Kremlin’s goals. Putin has repeatedly questioned Ukraine’s right to exist as an independent nation, referring to its territories as “historically Russian lands.”

“Ukrainians are not fighting for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They are fighting for national survival,” writes the Atlantic Council.

Polls show that Ukrainians support negotiations but oppose any agreement that would fail to ensure long-term security and create conditions for a new Russian attack. Therefore, a change in president alone will not alter the country’s determination to defend its independence.