Zaluzhnyi tells Zelenskyy he will run in the presidential election

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, has told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he will take part in the presidential election.

This was reported by Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources.

According to the sources, the ambassador to the UK was summoned to Kyiv in connection with the resignation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer — although there had reportedly been plans to do so in any case — in order to discuss the prospect of elections.

“Zelenskyy said that the situation on the front has recently been developing positively, society remains fairly consolidated, and therefore a window of opportunity has emerged for holding elections. However, the main task is to conduct them in such a way that the country does not experience a new internal split. This means, the president continued, that it is necessary to avoid the risks that would arise from a confrontation between Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi,” the article states.

Zelenskyy reportedly asked Zaluzhnyi directly: “If elections are held in the autumn, will you run?” Zaluzhnyi replied that he would, after which the two continued talking for some time.

Zelenskyy did not offer Zaluzhnyi a position, although sources said he would have been prepared to appoint him prime minister. In the end, the president and the general shook hands and parted ways.

While in Kyiv, Zaluzhnyi also met with National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Servant of the People parliamentary faction leader Davyd Arakhamia. They reportedly “repeated almost the same arguments: the possible division of society, the danger of an overly confrontational campaign, and risks to the state.” However, Zaluzhnyi’s answer did not change.

“After that, even the most experienced negotiators from Bankova had run out of arguments. But as they were leaving, they still asked Zaluzhnyi: ‘Brother, think it over one more time,’” the article says.

The report states that after this conversation, it became clear that Bankova’s attempt to organise elections in the autumn had “run into a serious obstacle.”

It should be recalled that in winter, Zaluzhnyi said he was not thinking about elections or a political career during the war.

Meanwhile, Western media have written that Zaluzhnyi is being promoted in Europe as a political alternative to Zelenskyy.