The former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and currently the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valeriy Zaluzhny, does not plan to participate in elections and is not preparing for political activities while the war continues in the country. Amidst the spread of rumors about his alleged creation of a parliamentary party, his media advisor, Oksana Torop, provided clarification regarding Zaluzhny’s position.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Statement from Zaluzhny’s Media Advisor
“Valeriy Zaluzhny has repeatedly stated: as long as the war continues, he is not thinking about elections and is not preparing for anything. No matter how many times sources say or write this, his position is clear and unchanged,” said Torop.
Oksana Torop emphasized that rumors about Zaluzhny’s political activity are spreading in the media without proper verification, often citing anonymous sources. She stressed that such information, like previous reports about the alleged establishment of Zaluzhny’s election headquarters in London, is part of a targeted campaign with political undertones.
Context of the Situation and Sociological Data
On October 8, the French portal Intelligence Online published an article claiming that several high-ranking Ukrainian officials from military circles were allegedly approached on behalf of Valeriy Zaluzhny with an offer to join a parliamentary party that he could lead in the event of a change in power. The publication referred to a source familiar with the list of potential candidates, which claimed that several well-known military officials were included in this list.
According to a survey conducted by the sociological group “Rating” in July, Valeriy Zaluzhny received the highest level of trust among Ukrainians — 73%. Volodymyr Zelensky has 67%, and Kyrylo Budanov has 56%.
Currently, martial law is in effect in Ukraine, imposed on February 24, 2022, which prohibits the holding of elections. About 20% of the country’s territory remains under Russian occupation, millions of Ukrainians are forcibly displaced, and the entire territory remains under the threat of Russian attacks.