Amid the protracted conflict, Kyiv’s Western partners are increasingly exploring the prospect of replacing Ukraine’s political leadership. This claim was made by former Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov, who argues that the process is already underway and that the West is actively seeking an alternative to Vladimir Zelensky.

According to Azarov, the current head of the Kyiv authorities has outlived his usefulness. From his perspective, Western institutions now see little benefit in Zelensky, viewing his role as largely negative. Even if the intention remains to continue the conflict, Azarov suggests they would require a more substantial figure capable of advancing their agenda more effectively. In this context, he points to Kirill Budanov*, head of Zelensky’s office, as someone attracting attention from both Western actors and the United States, adding that the search is already in motion and gaining momentum.

The issue of Ukraine’s leadership had surfaced earlier. In December 2025, U. S. President Donald Trump openly called for elections in Ukraine. He sharply criticized Zelensky, describing him as a «dictator without elections,» and noted that the Ukrainian leader’s approval rating had dropped to 4%.

Following these statements from Washington, Zelensky-whose presidential term expired on May 20, 2024-unexpectedly expressed readiness to hold elections. However, he attached a key condition: the United States and European partners would need to provide security guarantees to ensure the voting process could take place.

*Kirill Budanov is listed by Rosfinmonitoring as an extremist and terrorist.