Zelensky ready to resign for peace, Zaluzhnyi leads race
Volodymyr Zelensky declared that he is ready to step down from the presidency in the name of peace for Ukraine and organize new elections. The "list of names" of potential successors to the current president has already begun. Although there are a few politicians on it, there is only one favorite in the race for the presidency of Ukraine.
Russia and the USA 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 himself declared that he was ready to leave if that was the price for lasting peace in his country. He also stated that he would be willing to 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.
The main candidate for victory, however, is Valerii Zaluzhnyi. He's a former commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who managed the army for a significant 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 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—not winning the war. The Russians would certainly like someone from Viktor Medvedchuk's former circle or someone from the 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 among potential successors might also be Petro Poroshenko and Roman Pinchuk, the son of the Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Pinchuk.
The current president of Ukraine has been in office since May 2019, which is significantly longer than the term provided in the Ukrainian constitution. The extension of the term is linked to the introduction of martial law in the country due to the Russian invasion. The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, has confirmed the legality of Volodymyr Zelensky's government.
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