Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain and former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Valery Zaluzhny, would like to run for president if elections are held this fall. With reference to its sources, the daily Ukrainska Pravda reported about it, according to which Zaluzhny expressed his interest at a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
- Ukrainian Ambassador Valery Zaluzhny declared his interest in running for president.
- Zaluzhny expressed this intention during a recent meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky.
- Zelenskyj is considering the autumn presidential elections due to the favorable development of the front.
Zalužný was formally summoned to Kyiv in connection with the resignation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He discussed with Zelensky precisely the current situation in London and its possible consequences for Ukrainian-British relations.
The theme of the presidential election
According to the sources of the Ukrainian daily, the discussion then turned to the topic of the presidential election. Zelenskyy is reported to have said that developments on the battlefield have been favorable for Ukraine recently and society remains relatively united, thus opening up the opportunity to hold presidential elections.
“However, the main task is to ensure that they are carried out without the country facing a new internal split, and therefore, as the president continued, it is necessary to prevent the risks arising from the confrontation between Zelensky and Zaluzhny,” the Ukrainian Truth article reads.
According to the newspaper, Zelensky finally asked the former head of the army directly: “If the elections are held in the fall, will you be a candidate?” Zaluzhnyi is said to have answered unequivocally: “Yes, I will.”
Possible political alternatives
The conversation then continued for a while, but Zelenskyi did not offer Zaluzhny any alternatives for his future career, as it made no sense, Ukrainska pravda wrote, adding that initially the president’s office was willing to discuss with Zaluzhny not only diplomatic posts, but practically any positions, including the position of prime minister.
The current Ukrainian ambassador reportedly told Zelensky that he never aspired to a political career, but said he did not want to disappoint the trust of many people who put their hopes in him. After his departure from Kyiv, it became clear that the president’s office’s attempt to restore the political process and organize elections in the fall had hit a serious obstacle, the daily added.
Ukraine and martial law
Ukraine has not held a proper presidential or parliamentary election since the February 2022 Russian invasion, due to martial law and mobilization. The five-year mandate of Zelensky, who was elected by the citizens in a direct vote in 2019, officially expired in May 2024. The Ukrainian parliament extended it by resolution until the lifting of the state of war.
Zaluzhny is extremely popular in his homeland for having planned the counter-offensive that helped liberate significant areas occupied by Russian forces in the first months of the Russian invasion.
