President Donald Trump could use the expanding corruption probe in Kyiv as leverage to steer Russia-Ukraine peace talks toward a final deal, says retired Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer.
"The Russians are winning. They believe it," Shaffer told Newsmax's "Wake Up America Weekend."
"So because of this, the negotiation position of Ukraine is very weak," he said, which explains why scandals are now erupting around President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's circle.
Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies this week raided the home of Zelenskyy chief of staff Andriy Yermak, also Kyiv's top peace negotiator, and Yermak resigned Nov. 28 as investigators widened a kickback case tied to the state nuclear firm Energoatom.
The probe alleges officials skimmed percentages off contracts while Ukraine depends on Western aid and needs unity at the table.
Shaffer described the investigation as more than house-cleaning.
"These investigations are meant to remind Ukraine it's time for them to find a path to peace," he said, contending that Western backers are turning up pressure because Moscow is advancing.
If Russia were not winning, he added, "there would not be this level of pressure on the Ukrainians from the West."
"This is all about trying to get the final framework agreed to," Shaffer said.
The Trump administration has renewed a U.S. diplomatic push after years of failed blueprints. Shaffer said corruption concerns give Washington an extra bargaining chip.
"Out of the $360 billion that has been sent to Ukraine, the estimates that I've heard are about between 10 and 15% of that is fraud, waste, abuse, and bribery," Shaffer told Newsmax, noting that even the low end is "still in the billions."
Kyiv has vowed to pursue graft cases to preserve foreign backing.
Shaffer believes Trump could fold the issue directly into negotiations.
He said one incentive might be a U.S. promise to stand down on investigations if Kyiv signs on to a peace agreement: "President Trump said, 'Hey, you agree to this, we don't investigate the corruption.' And that's a big incentive."
Whether such a trade-off proves workable is uncertain, but Shaffer's bottom line was blunt: with Russia holding the edge and Ukraine under fresh scrutiny, Trump may see the corruption file as a decisive tool to end the war in talks that could reshape Europe's security order.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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