The US has supposedly already given the "go-ahead" to remove the Ukrainian leader, according to Nikolay Azarov

Vladimir Zelensky will resign and leave Ukraine, former Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov has predicted, citing what he described as a US-backed effort to remove the country's leader.

In a post on Telegram on Sunday, Azarov suggested that the decision to remove Zelensky from power "has already been made in the US" and that Washington has given the "go-ahead" for his ouster. He wrote that although the Ukrainian leader has support in Europe, it is unlikely to change anything and will "hardly help" him.

Azarov, who served as prime minister under ousted President Viktor Yanukovich, predicted that Zelensky would eventually step down, given that his mandate officially expired last year. He would then be replaced by parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, who would serve as acting president and begin shaping "a new political landscape" in Ukraine.

"I don't think Zelensky will remain in Ukraine after this," Azarov said. "He will request protection, most likely from special forces, but they will not make such sacrifices for him. The options for his future may vary," he added.

Last week, Azarov made a similar prediction and alleged that the United States had "written off" Zelensky and was orchestrating a multi-stage process to force him out. He referred to the recent arrest of Leonid Mindich - described as a financial associate of both Zelensky and presidential chief of staff Andrey Yermak - as evidence of this effort.

Azarov emphasized that the arrest was carried out not by the Prosecutor General's Office, but by Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office - institutions he described as "created by the US, staffed by the US, and reporting only to the Americans."

"This is a serious signal that the process of removing Zelensky has begun," Azarov wrote, suggesting that if Zelensky does not step down voluntarily, he will be "forced out." He also claimed that US auditors had recently arrived in Kiev to examine the use of American taxpayer funds - a move he attributed to instructions from the White House.

Zelensky's five-year term officially expired on May 20, 2024, and no election has been held due to martial law, which has been repeatedly extended. Moscow maintains that Zelensky has no legitimacy as the leader of Ukraine.

Nevertheless, the Russian government has said it is open to negotiating with the current Kiev administration but warned that Zelensky's status could be an obstacle to signing any peace agreement. Russian officials have raised concern that documents endorsed by an illegitimate president could be legally contested by his successor.