Media: Zaluzhny Told Zelenskyy That He Would Run For President

The topic of elections was discussed at the meeting.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting at the presidential residence on Bankova Street in Kyiv with Valeriy Zaluzhnyy—the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who currently serves as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Zaluzhny was summoned from London for the meeting shortly before the current British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation. However, after discussing this situation, Zelenskyy moved on to the topic of the elections in Ukraine, according to sources close to both participants in the meeting who spoke with “Ukrainska Pravda.”

According to the publication’s sources, Zelenskyy began the conversation by noting that the situation on the front lines has been developing positively recently, society remains fairly united, and therefore a “window of opportunity” has opened for holding presidential elections. The Ukrainian leader noted that the elections must be held in a way that prevents a split in the country, and therefore it is necessary to avoid the risks associated with a possible confrontation between him and Zaluzhny.

Finally, the president asked the former commander-in-chief directly: “If the election takes place in the fall, will you run?” And, according to sources interviewed by “Ukrainska Pravda”, he received an unequivocal answer: “Yes. I will.”

UP sources say that Zelenskyy was ready to discuss virtually any government position with Zaluzhnyy, but after receiving that answer, he stopped making any offers. The former commander-in-chief himself explained that he was not seeking a political career, but many people have placed their hopes in him, and he could not explain “why he should disregard the trust placed in him.” The meeting ended there.

As journalists note, Zaluzhny’s approval rating remains high, but it no longer shows the same momentum it did immediately after his resignation as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in February 2024. At the same time, the approval rating of another likely candidate in the election—who could pose a challenge to Zelenskyy—is rising: Kirill Budanov, the head of the President’s Office.

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