Zlensky open to resigning for peace; Zaluzhnyi emerges as frontrunner
Volodymyr Zelensky declared that he is ready to step down from the presidency in the name of peace for Ukraine and organize new elections. A "list of names" of potential successors to the current president has already begun to form. Although a few politicians are on this list, there is only one favourite in the Ukraine presidential race.
Russia and the United States may demand that President Volodymyr Zelensky resign and organize new elections. This proposal could be part of negotiations to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Zelensky declared that he was ready to leave if that was the price for lasting peace in his country. He also said he would step down if Ukraine were accepted into NATO.
Following the president's declaration, speculation about his successor began. The list includes, among others, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian intelligence service, and Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada.
However, Valerii Zaluzhnyi is the leading candidate for leadership. He is a former commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who managed the army for a substantial part of the war with Russia. Currently, Zaluzhnyi is in the United Kingdom, acting as Ukraine's ambassador.
speculation begins on presidential elections in Ukraine
It turns out that his candidacy might be unacceptable to the Russians. They would prefer someone from the circle of the discredited former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, to win the elections.
The main candidate and frontrunner for the presidency, should there be a change, is Valerii Zaluzhnyi. However, for the Russians, he is a candidate similar to Volodymyr Zelensky. It's also important to remember that Zaluzhnyi is criticized by Zelensky for — to put it briefly — not winning the war. The Russians would certainly prefer someone from Viktor Medvedchuk's former circle or former deputies of the Party of Regions to emerge among the candidates. Former president Viktor Yanukovych and Medvedchuk are too discredited to even be considered — says Jerzy Marek Nowakowski, former ambassador of Poland to Latvia and Armenia.
Nowakowski adds that potential successors might also include Petro Poroshenko and Roman Pinchuk, the son of the Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Pinchuk.
The current president of Ukraine has been at the helm since May 2019. This is significantly longer than provided for in the Ukrainian constitution. The extension of the term is linked to the imposition of martial law in the country due to the Russian invasion. The Ukrainian parliament has confirmed the legality of Volodymyr Zelensky's government, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
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