Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom has shut down claims he “is quietly preparing a run for President” from his London HQ and replace Volodymyr Zelensky should a peace deal be secured with Russia.
General Valerii Zaluzhnyi’s team were forced to address the claims on Wednesday stating that “there is no talk of any campaign headquarters”.
It follows claims from a journalist that “his HQ is already active in London and recruitment is underway”, reports The Daily Mail.
According to the journalist, inside sources had claimed that his campaign had “effectively begun” after current President Zelensky suggested to US President Donald Trump, that elections may be on the horizon.
Zaluzhnyi, known affectionately as the Iron General, would likely be the most popular contender to stand a chance at securing victory, with many Ukrainians still holding him in high regard for his heroic defence of Kyiv back in 2022 when the war first broke out.
He was then replaced by Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief and instead assigned as Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK in July last year.
Freelance journalist Katie Livingstone her sources had revealed that the Ukrainian opposition MP Viktoria Siumar would spearhead any campaign, with former BBC Ukraine reporter Oksana Torop handling his press.
Kyiv Post Correspondent Jason Jay Smart also backed up and echoed the claims adding: “Sources indicate that he gave the go-ahead to his team, over a month ago, to start planning his campaign.”
Yet despite the insistence of the press, Ms Torop last night denied the rumours. She told the New Voice of Ukraine: “There is no talk of any campaign headquarters.
“Valerii Zaluzhnyi has stated his position more than once, and as far as I know, it has not changed: while the war continues, we need to work to preserve the country, not think about elections.”
According to a recent poll, Zaluzhnyi is Ukraine’s most trusted public figure with a 73 per cent approval rating compared with 67 per cent for Zelensky.