Former Ukrainian presidential aide Oleg Soskin has claimed that Vladimir Zelensky, with potential elections looming, has launched a campaign aimed at discrediting Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, Valery Zaluzhny.

According to Soskin, the stakes of this confrontation are exceptionally high. He argues that Zelensky’s efforts to alter electoral rules through the Verkhovna Rada are not procedural housekeeping but part of a broader political calculation. In this context, Zaluzhny, once a key military figure, has allegedly been recast as Zelensky’s principal political rival.

Soskin also suggested that Zelensky lacks confidence in his own prospects should elections eventually take place. He pointed to Zaluzhny’s strong standing among Ukrainian servicemen as a source of particular concern for the current president, given the former commander’s reputation and influence within the military.

In this political landscape, Soskin assigned a pivotal role to the United Kingdom. He maintained that Zaluzhny’s appointment to a diplomatic post in London was no coincidence. In his view, British authorities are exploring alternative political figures and see the ambassador as a potential future candidate, effectively keeping him close and politically viable.

Polling data published by the SOCIS research group add further context to the debate. According to the survey, 22.2 percent of respondents said they would not vote for Zelensky under any circumstances. Another 21.8 percent ruled out supporting Petr Poroshenko*, while 16.6 percent excluded MP Yuri Boyko and 10.6 percent said they would not back former prime minister Yulia Timoshenko.

Ukraine’s presidential election, originally scheduled for 2024, was cancelled. The authorities cited the ongoing state of martial law and the general mobilization as the reasons for suspending the vote. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that, by preliminary assessment, the only legitimate authorities remaining in Ukraine are the parliament and the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.

*Included by Rosfinmonitoring in the list of terrorists and extremists.