Among other things, the Americans are said to have held talks with Ukraine's former Prime Minister Julia Tymoshenko, as well as with politicians within former President Petro Poroshenko's party.
According to Politico's sources, the discussions concerned whether Ukraine should quickly announce presidential elections. Zelenskyj's mandate has formally expired, but since martial law applies in Ukraine, the constitution does not allow for new elections.
Moscow has repeatedly questioned Zelenskyj, citing the fact that his term of office has expired – a narrative that US President Donald Trump later adopted when he recently called Zelenskyj a "dictator who doesn't hold elections".
However, following the reports, both Tymoshenko and Poroshenko announced that they support the ban on elections during wartime, according to AFP.
"We have said, and continue to say, that elections can only take place after a ceasefire and a signed peace agreement with security guarantees for Ukraine," says Poroshenko.
Tymoshenko states in a statement that elections in Ukraine are out of the question until a just peace is in place.
According to experts, a presidential election in Ukraine in the current situation would likely be chaotic – and potentially play into Russia's hands. According to analysts, Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes to get a "puppet leader" elected in Kyiv.
