Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s former commander-in-chief and current ambassador to the U.K., declined a phone call from U.S. Vice President JD Vance in early March, just days after a heated Oval Office meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Vance’s team had attempted to reach Zaluzhnyi through “various diplomatic and other channels” to explore potential replacements for Zelenskyy. Zaluzhnyi, widely respected by both the military and the public for leading Ukraine’s resistance against Russia, consulted with Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak before refusing the call, a source said. His decision was described as a “principled position” and a sign of unity following what Ukraine felt was a moment of humiliation, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Recent polling by Rating group suggests Zaluzhnyi would place second to Zelenskyy in a presidential race with 25% support, while his potential party could lead in parliamentary elections with 22%. However, Zaluzhnyi has not officially declared any political ambitions. Oksana Torop, a former BBC Ukrainian journalist, reaffirmed last week that Zaluzhnyi remains focused on the war effort rather than elections.
Following the Oval Office incident, U.S. officials also reportedly met with ex-President Petro Poroshenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to discuss potential Ukrainian political leadership.