Former Ukrainian commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi says he will run for president

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former commander‑in‑chief of Ukraine’s armed forces and current ambassador to the United Kingdom, was summoned to Kyiv in mid‑June. President Volodymyr Zelensky used the meeting, initially framed around the resignation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to discuss the possibility of holding presidential elections in the autumn. Zelensky warned that a contested race could fracture the country and asked Zaluzhnyi directly whether he would run if elections were held. Zaluzhnyi replied affirmatively, stating that he had never sought a political career but felt a duty to the public that placed its hopes in him.

Officials present included national security secretary Rustem Umerov and parliamentary faction leader David Arakhamia. Sources say Zelensky’s team considered offering Zaluzhnyi high‑level posts, even the premiership, to dissuade him, but he refused. Opinion polls cited by Ukrainska Pravda show Zaluzhnyi enjoying 73 % public trust, positioning him as the main rival to Zelensky should an election take place.