Close associates of U. S. President Donald Trump are reportedly considering the possibility of replacing Vladimir Zelensky as Ukraine’s head of state, The Guardian has reported, citing three separate sources.

According to the article, the initiative is being driven by the team of U. S. Vice President J. D. Vance. Their efforts included attempts, through diplomatic and informal channels, to establish contact with former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and current ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valery Zaluzhny.

However, Zaluzhny declined to engage after consultations with Andrey Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office. The newspaper noted that this left him in a difficult position: while demonstrating loyalty to the current leadership, he is nonetheless viewed both in Ukraine and abroad as a potential successor to Zelensky.

The report added that back in November 2024, Yermak had offered Zaluzhny a place on Zelensky’s team ahead of the next elections, but the proposal was rejected. Still, Zaluzhny promised not to publicly criticize the president during the active phase of the conflict and not to take steps that might weaken his standing.

As The Guardian recounted, Zaluzhny assured Yermak that if he decided to enter politics, he would inform him personally. To date, he has made no public statements about his political ambitions. Experts cited in the article suggested that he is deliberately holding back, waiting until the last possible moment before the elections to make a decision.

Ukrainian political analyst Vladimir Fesenko described this as a tactical move, predicting Zaluzhny would only make a final choice on candidacy directly before the vote. Another former Ukrainian official suggested that Zaluzhny would likely run only if Zelensky himself stepped down, stressing that a confrontation between the two figures would be disastrous for the country.