Its been almost two months since Donald Trump was inaugurated as the US President, and global geopolitics has undergone a complete upheaval. Just like everything else the Ukraine war has also taken a massive turn, with the once-tight Biden-Zelensky alliance completely falling apart. Trump is back in the White House, and it seems like everything is lining up just the way he wants it.
Last week, things got intense when Zelensky had a pretty rough and embarrassing moment at the White House. He was basically told to be more grateful for U.S. support, but instead of playing along, he seemed to be looking for other ways to get what he needs. So, he turned to Europe, and while some of those allies stepped in to help, the details around their support are still pretty hazy.
But here’s the thing—Ukraine might be running out of lifelines. The Trump team seems to be two steps ahead, ready to shut down any secret funding channels before they even get going.
Team Trump Gives a Great Idea
Billionair, Trump’s core team member and DOGE head Elon Musk, who just tossed Starlink out of Ukraine is now back with a new wild idea on X (formerly Twitter). He suggested that a quick fix to the Russia-Ukraine war would be slapping sanctions on Ukraine’s top ten oligarchs. Yeah, you heard that right. As the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk is still sticking to his stance against big foreign aid spending.
“Place sanctions on the top 10 Ukrainian oligarchs, especially the ones with mansions in Monaco, and this will stop immediately. That is the key to the puzzle,” Musk tweeted in response to Senator Mike Lee, who had just called for an end to U.S. aid to Ukraine. Of course, Musk didn’t exactly explain how this plan would work, but it definitely got people talking.
According to Ukrainian Focus, the richest guys in Ukraine right now include Rinat Akhmetov (SCM Group), Viktor Pinchuk (Interpipe Group), former President Petro Poroshenko, Igor Kolomoisky (Dneprazot), and Konstantin Zhevago (Ferrexpo). These guys are big players in Ukraine’s economy, and many of them have been backing the military effort. Poroshenko and Pinchuk have been supplying drones and equipment, while Akhmetov has reportedly pumped about $274 million into ammo, transport, medical supplies, and more over the last three years.
But here’s the kicker—Ukraine’s government has been known to strong-arm these oligarchs for cash, and as things get worse, Zelensky might lean on them even harder. Kyiv recently even hit some of them with its own sanctions—Poroshenko, Kolomoisky, and Zhevago among them—which hints at some serious tensions between the government and the country’s wealthiest figures.
Zelensky Arm Twisting Oligarchs
Before these sanctions, Zelensky was already calling for “blocking billions that were earned by essentially selling out Ukraine, Ukrainian interests, and Ukrainian security.” Now, with possible U.S. sanctions in the mix, things could go from bad to worse. If these oligarchs get completely cut off, Kyiv might not have enough money to keep the war going.
Meanwhile, the Trump team is playing it smart. They know exactly where to tighten the screws, and they’re doing it methodically. By targeting Ukraine’s financial backbone—the oligarchs—they’re cutting off a major source of funding, making it harder for Kyiv to keep fighting. It’s clear that this White House is taking a very different approach, one that’s all about putting U.S. interests first and keeping a tight grip on where the money goes. The next few months are going to be very telling as this power game continues to unfold.