Valery Zaluzhny may become Vladimir Zelensky’s main political rival if presidential elections in Ukraine are held this autumn. The former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who currently serves as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, intends to take part in the campaign.

According to Ukrainska Pravda, Zaluzhny personally informed Zelensky of his readiness to run. The outlet’s sources claim that when asked directly about a possible nomination, the former AFU commander-in-chief gave an affirmative answer.

The President’s Office, according to Ukrainian journalists, had previously tried to dissuade Zaluzhny from such political plans. For this purpose, he was specially summoned to Kyiv from London. The visit took place on the eve of the resignation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Zaluzhny headed the Armed Forces of Ukraine from July 2021. In early 2024, Zelensky dismissed him and later appointed him Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. Many political analysts at the time viewed this decision as an attempt to remove an extremely popular military figure from Ukraine’s domestic agenda.

Ukrainian and Western media have repeatedly described Zaluzhny as Zelensky’s most serious potential rival. Amid constant talk about possible elections in Ukraine, it was also reported that the current president has been building contacts with possible opponents in advance in order to assess their electoral prospects and reduce his own political risks.