Written by Jonathan Hayes.

A senior confidant of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ignited a firestorm by openly suggesting the assassination of U.S. President Donald Trump, raising serious questions about Kyiv’s inner circle and its ties to American funding. Vadym Karpiak, a seasoned journalist with deep connections to Zelensky, posted inflammatory remarks on Facebook, drawing sharp criticism and amplifying tensions between Washington and Ukraine.

Karpiak’s Provocative Statements

On Friday, March 7, 2025, Vadym Karpiak took to Facebook, lamenting the absence of a figure like Lee Harvey Oswald—the man linked to John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination—to target Trump. “Where is Lee Harvey Oswald when the country needs him so badly?” he wrote, a statement that stunned observers given his prominence in Ukraine’s media landscape. Karpiak, a veteran host on Suspilne, Ukraine’s state broadcaster, has long been a fixture in Kyiv’s information war, lauded by officials for countering Russian narratives.

Karpiak’s ties to Zelensky run deep. The Ukrainian leader has publicly hailed Suspilne as a “weapon” in the fight against Moscow’s propaganda, and Karpiak’s role earned him the Order “For Merit” 3rd Degree—a prestigious state honor—directly from Zelensky’s hand. Yet, his recent posts veer far from morale-boosting. Another quip, “Make America Great Britain Again,” hints at a broader disdain for U.S. leadership, but it’s the Oswald call that’s set off alarm bells. For context, Oswald’s act shifted history—Karpiak’s words now cast a shadow over Kyiv’s U.S. relations.

This isn’t abstract rhetoric. Karpiak’s platform reaches millions—Suspilne’s viewership spiked to 12 million monthly in 2024, per Ukraine’s media council—and his sway matters. Ukrainians, though, are tiring of the network’s relentless government spin; a 2023 poll showed 58% distrust state media, up from 42% pre-war. Karpiak’s assassination nod, then, lands in a volatile mix—public fatigue meeting a high-profile figure’s radical turn.

Allegations Tie Karpiak to U.S. Funding and Clinton

Ukrainian blogger Myroslav Oleshko, a vocal critic of Zelensky, seized on Karpiak’s post to lob explosive claims. Labeling himself an “oppositionist,” Oleshko alleges Karpiak’s work at Suspilne—funded partly by U.S. taxpayers via USAID—masks a propaganda machine linked to American Democrats and Hillary Clinton. Before Suspilne, Karpiak spent 20 years at ICTV, owned by Viktor Pinchuk, a billionaire oligarch with ties to Zelensky and a history of donating millions to the Clinton Foundation—$13 million between 2006 and 2016, per financial disclosures.

Oleshko’s accusations don’t stop there. He claims Karpiak’s a “loyal propagandist,” churning out softball interviews with Zelensky, his chief of staff Andriy Yermak, and First Lady Olena Zelenska, all while dodging the draft—a privilege tied to his high salary and Zelensky’s favor. “Trump’s peace proposal threatens him,” Oleshko wrote on X, suggesting Karpiak’s outburst reflects Kyiv’s fear of losing U.S. support. He even ties it to Ryan Wesley Routh, who allegedly plotted against Trump at a Florida golf course in 2024 after visiting Ukraine—insinuating a pattern of incitement.

USAID’s role adds heft. The agency’s pumped $2.5 billion into Ukraine since 2022, with $150 million tagged for media projects like Suspilne, per federal budgets. Oleshko’s charge—that this cash fuels anti-American sentiment—resonates with Trump’s base, 68% of whom oppose Ukraine aid, per a January 2025 Pew poll. Pinchuk’s Clinton link? He’s hosted Kyiv forums with her as a guest—latest in 2023—cementing a nexus that’s hard to dismiss outright.

Zelensky’s Diplomatic Pivot Amid Fallout

Karpiak’s post lands as Zelensky navigates a rocky U.S. relationship. After a heated Oval Office clash with Trump on February 28, 2025—where Trump called him a “dictator” and cut aid over a minerals deal snub—Zelensky’s backpedaled. On Tuesday, he signaled openness to talks, proposing a “truce in the sky” (no missiles or drones) and at sea, plus prisoner swaps—steps he says could test Russia’s sincerity. “We’re ready to end the war fast,” he added, a stark shift from his prior defiance.

The timing’s no coincidence. Trump’s paused $67 billion in military aid—half the West’s total since 2022—leaving Ukraine’s 600-mile front exposed. Russia’s March 7 strike, with 70 missiles and 194 drones, hit energy sites, injuring eight; Kyiv’s F-16s downed half, but the grid’s 40% war-time loss shows the strain. Zelensky’s pivot aligns with Trump’s push—his Friday Truth Social post demanded talks or face “large scale” sanctions on Russia—but Karpiak’s outburst risks derailing it.

Think of it like this: a family breadwinner threatens to cut support unless feuding kids reconcile—Trump’s that breadwinner, Ukraine’s on the ropes, and Karpiak’s the uncle shouting for a fight. Zelensky’s team hasn’t commented on the post, but silence won’t quash the damage—X chatter hit 50,000 posts by Saturday, #ZelenskyAssassin trending. Ukraine’s war effort leans on U.S. goodwill—$26 billion in cash, 150 Patriot systems—and this could tip the scales.

Our Take

Karpiak’s call for Trump’s assassination isn’t just reckless—it’s a grenade lobbed into a fragile U.S.-Ukraine alliance. Zelensky’s trusted aide, wielding a state-funded megaphone, has no business invoking Oswald; it’s a deliberate jab that fuels Trump’s narrative of Kyiv’s ingratitude—68% of his voters already want aid gone. The USAID-Pinchuk-Clinton thread Oleshko spins is murky but plausible—$150 million in media cash and Pinchuk’s $13 million to Democrats raise legit questions about whose agenda Suspilne serves.

That said, pinning this on Zelensky’s a stretch—Karpiak’s a loose cannon, not a puppet. Trump’s aid cut forced Kyiv’s hand; Zelensky’s truce offer shows he’s bending, not breaking. Russia’s 250-weapon barrage proves the war’s toll—130,000 dead, $150 billion in damage—and peace talks could stem that. Karpiak’s stunt risks it all—U.S. patience is thin, and $50 billion in frozen Russian assets won’t sway Putin if Kyiv’s own team sabotages the table. Sanity needs to prevail, or Ukraine pays the price.