Zaluzhny in London is considering a presidential career: instead of military responsibility – an aim at power

Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, has not ruled out running for president and has already declined to join Volodymyr Zelensky’s political party.

This was reported by the British newspaper The Guardian, citing sources.

“In private conversations, Zaluzhnyi has not confirmed that he plans to enter politics, but he has allowed himself to speculate about what kind of platform he might offer if he does make that decision. Those close to him say he looks to Israel as a model — despite its current bloody campaign in Gaza — seeing it as a small country surrounded by enemies and entirely focused on defense,” the article notes.

The newspaper suggests that the former commander-in-chief is considering the possibility of running in the presidential elections.

“He would position himself as a tough wartime leader who promises blood, toil, and tears to the Ukrainian people in exchange for the salvation of the nation, like Winston Churchill,” The Guardian writes.

Although Zaluzhnyi is keeping his political ambitions ambiguous, Ukraine’s London embassy under his leadership has become a steady destination for “political pilgrims” seeking to offer their services, show support, or gauge whether the general intends to run. Among these visitors have been Ukrainian MPs, civil society activists, wealthy businessmen, and even Donald Trump’s former adviser Paul Manafort. The latter “visited Zaluzhnyi to offer his services as a political consultant for any future campaign.”

“Zaluzhnyi declined the offer,” the paper reports.

Another frequent visitor has been Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, though according to the paper he achieved little.

“At a meeting in November last year, according to a well-informed source, Yermak offered Zaluzhnyi to formally join the president’s political team to present a united front ahead of future elections. Zaluzhnyi refused, but promised Yermak he would not publicly criticize Zelensky while the war continues, the source said. ‘If I decide I want to go into politics, you’ll hear it from me first, privately,’ Zaluzhnyi told Yermak,” the article recounts.

The publication also says that after the spat between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office, Zaluzhnyi declined to answer a call from U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

“Vance and others in Trump’s circle apparently tested potential alternatives to Zelensky at that time. Vance’s team tried different diplomatic and other channels to reach Zaluzhnyi. Zaluzhnyi, after consulting with Zelensky’s chief of staff, refused to answer the call,” the paper notes, adding that after the White House scandal, the general met Zelensky at the airport and posed for a photo with him.

At the same time, The Guardian writes of tense relations between Zaluzhnyi and Zelensky dating back to before the invasion.

Several months before the full-scale war, Zaluzhnyi insisted on more intensive preparations for a Russian attack. Zelensky, however, “was not convinced that the threat of invasion was real, and thought that even if it was, excessive preparation would cause panic among the population and could give Russia a pretext to invade.”

According to the newspaper, at a National Security and Defense Council meeting two days before the invasion, Zaluzhnyi and then-defense minister Oleksii Reznikov called for the introduction of martial law, but Zelensky “still feared creating panic.”

“In the end, the Security Council voted for less stringent measures. Russia invaded two days later,” the article says.

After the invasion, the disagreements between the president and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine persisted, and as the war dragged on “tensions between the two men grew.”

“Almost every strategic meeting ended in disputes. The presidential team also grew increasingly uneasy about Zaluzhnyi’s popularity. He seemed to be developing an untouchable, mythical status,” the article continues.

By February 2024, Zelensky “had had enough” and dismissed Zaluzhnyi.