Latest news with #Zaluzhny
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Coup in Ukraine? Russia claims US-UK planning to oust Zelensky and replace him with former Ukrainian Army chief
Political context and anti-corruption controversy Resetting Kiev-West relations and aid continuity Live Events Background on Valery Zaluzhny (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service ( SVR ) has accused the United States and the United Kingdom of orchestrating a secret plan to remove Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and install former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valery Zaluzhny , as the new president, reported TASS According to the SVR, a clandestine meeting was held in an Alpine resort involving high-level Ukrainian officials Andrey Yermak (head of Zelensky's presidential office), Kirill Budanov (chief of Ukraine's Defense Ministry intelligence), and Valery Zaluzhny himself, alongside US and UK representatives. During this meeting, the Western allies purportedly decided to support Zaluzhny's candidacy for the SVR alleges that Yermak and Budanov quickly agreed ('snapped a salute') to this decision after securing promises from the US and UK to allow them to retain their current influential positions and have their interests taken into account in future Ukrainian personnel to Russian intelligence as reported by TASS, this secret arrangement sheds light on recent political maneuvers within Ukraine, notably Zelensky's controversial attempts to restrict the powers of local anti-corruption agencies. The SVR claims that these moves were engineered by Yermak to clear the political field for Zaluzhny's subsequent rise and provided a pretext for Western powers to paint Zelensky's administration as authoritarian, thereby justifying plans to remove him from power in the name of defending attempts to curb independent anti-corruption bodies had sparked protests in Ukraine and criticism from Western governments, which contributed to political instability. Following backlash, Zelensky even submitted a bill reversing the curtailment to reinforce the powers of these watchdogs, though with conditions such as security vetting of employees six months SVR asserts that the decision to replace Zelensky with Zaluzhny was framed as a necessary step to 'reset' Ukraine's relations with Western partners, particularly Washington , and to ensure continued military and financial aid amid Ukraine's ongoing conflict with officials question the democratic legitimacy of a top-level political decision made in secret at a foreign resort, asking Ukrainians if this is the democracy, independence, and self-determination they dreamed Zaluzhny served as Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces until early 2025 and currently acts as Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom. He is credited with significant military leadership during Ukraine's resistance in the ongoing war. The SVR claims that both Western countries and certain Ukrainian officials see Zaluzhny as a preferable successor to official statements have been issued by the US, UK, or Ukrainian governments to confirm or deny the SVR's allegations.
Russia Today
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Western and Ukrainian officials held ‘secret meeting' on ousting Zelensky
US and UK officials have secretly met with key Ukrainian powerbrokers to discuss ousting Vladimir Zelensky and replacing him with former military chief Valery Zaluzhny, according to Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). In a statement on Tuesday, the SVR claimed Western officials had gathered at an undisclosed Alpine resort with top Zelensky aide Andrey Yermak, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov, and Zaluzhny, who is currently Kiev's ambassador to the UK. According to the agency, all sides agreed 'it is high time' for Zelensky to be replaced and called the change 'a key condition for resetting Kiev's relations with the West and continuing Western military aid.' The SVR reported that US and UK officials told their Ukrainian counterparts they want Zaluzhny to become president. The agency claimed that Yermak and Budanov 'saluted' the plan and secured promises that they would keep their current posts if Zaluzhny took over. Zaluzhny, who served as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces between 2021 and 2024, has enjoyed high approval ratings, with speculation that he would likely beat Zelensky in a potential presidential election. The SVR also claimed the covert meeting revealed why Zelensky had initially backed a bill that would have stripped two Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies of their independence. The crackdown sparked protests at home and criticism from the West, prompting Zelensky to roll back the reform. According to the SVR, Yermak 'set up' Zelensky by advising him to push the controversial law, knowing this would undermine his image abroad and provide justification for Western partners to seek his removal. The SVR went on to address ordinary Ukrainians, saying: 'A new president of your country has been chosen at an Alpine resort. Is this the triumph of Ukrainian democracy and independence you dreamed of?' Zelensky's presidential term expired last May, but he has refused to hold a new election, citing martial law. Russia has proclaimed him 'illegitimate,' insisting that the true power now lies with the Ukrainian parliament.
Russia Today
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky would lose Ukrainian election
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky would lose a presidential election to former defense chief Valery Zaluzhny if citizens were allowed to vote soon, according to a recent public opinion survey. Zelensky has suspended national elections under martial law and chose not to step down after his presidential term expired last year. Zaluzhny, who was dismissed as commander-in-chief of the armed forces in 2024 and later appointed Kiev's ambassador to the United Kingdom, has long been seen as a strong potential contender for the presidency. The latest snapshot of voters' preferences comes from a monthly report by Kiev-based pollster Socis, released Wednesday. A survey of approximately 2,000 respondents showed that Zelensky and Zaluzhny would reach a runoff in a presidential contest, as they were the only candidates with double-digit support. However, nearly a quarter of respondents (24.7%) said they had not yet decided whom they would vote for. In a head-to-head, the former top general would receive more than 60% of the vote, according to the poll – a figure that aligns with prior sociological research. Zaluzhny has not declared an intent to run, stating that Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia must be resolved first. When Socis asked voters whom they would support if their preferred candidate were not on the ballot, only 6.5% named Zelensky as their second choice, compared to 18.1% for Zaluzhny and 11.0% for Kirill Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency. The poll also indicated that if Zaluzhny were to form a new political party, it would win the most votes in a parliamentary election – also hypothetical for now – defeating any party backed by Zelensky. Respondents identified persistent corruption and misappropriation of public funds as the leading failure of the current government, with 65% citing the issue. When asked who was responsible, 55.1% blamed 'the entire government,' 40.3% pointed to law enforcement agencies charged with tackling corruption, and 31.2% assigned blame to the presidency, and by extension, to Zelensky.
AFP
15-04-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Alleged BBC News chyron on Ukrainian presidency is fake
"UK has already decided on the next president of Ukraine. Zaluzhny! Makes it easier if the already pre-announce it," says a March 31, 2025 post on X. The apparent screenshot shows a photo of Zaluzhny above a red BBC News banner in the lower third of the frame, with a timestamp and text that reads: "Valerii Zaluzhnyi. The next President of Ukraine." Image Screenshot from X taken April 14, 2025 The post comes from "Lord Bebo," an X account that has previously spread other disinformation, including about Ukraine. "Sprinter Observer," another user AFP has repeatedly fact-checked, also amplified the image. Similar posts spread in other languages such as Russian, Polish, German and Arabic. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in power for 25 years, has frequently challenged Zelensky's legitimacy as Ukraine's leader and called for new elections in war-ravaged Ukraine -- points that US President Donald Trump has repeated as global efforts to secure a ceasefire continue to stall. Zelensky was elected to a five-year term in 2019 but has remained president because Ukrainian law stipulates that elections be suspended during times of major military In March 2025, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Zelensky: "You have full backing across the United Kingdom, and we stand with you with Ukraine for as long as it may take." Zaluzhny, who led Ukraine's army from before Russia's 2022 invasion until his dismissal by Zelensky two years later, was appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom in 2024. The popular former general has polled favorably and been seen as a contender to unseat Zelensky were he to stand for any future presidential vote. No election has been called as of April 15, 2025, however -- and the BBC has not declared Zaluzhny "the next President of Ukraine" in a chyron. A BBC spokesperson told AFP in an April 11, 2025 email that the posts spreading online "are fake screenshots and not genuine BBC News stories." AFP found no evidence of any such segment on BBC's website or YouTube channel, although the outlet did report on comments Zaluzhny made about the Trump administration and speculation that Zelensky could choose to hold elections (archived here and here). The picture of Zaluzhny used in the posts is not a BBC photo, but a picture he posted on Telegram in October 2024 (archived here). AFP has debunked other misinformation about Russia's invasion of Ukraine here.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alleged BBC News chyron on Ukrainian presidency is fake
"UK has already decided on the next president of Ukraine. Zaluzhny! Makes it easier if the already pre-announce it," says a March 31, 2025 post on X. The apparent screenshot shows a photo of Zaluzhny above a red BBC News banner in the lower third of the frame, with a timestamp and text that reads: "Valerii Zaluzhnyi. The next President of Ukraine." The post comes from "Lord Bebo," an X account that has previously spread other disinformation, including about Ukraine. "Sprinter Observer," another user AFP has repeatedly fact-checked, also amplified the image. Similar posts spread in other languages such as Russian, Polish, German and Arabic. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in power for 25 years, has frequently challenged Zelensky's legitimacy as Ukraine's leader and called for new elections in war-ravaged Ukraine -- points that US President Donald Trump has repeated as global efforts to secure a ceasefire continue to stall. Zelensky was elected to a five-year term in 2019 but has remained president because Ukrainian law stipulates that elections be suspended during times of major military conflict. In March 2025, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Zelensky: "You have full backing across the United Kingdom, and we stand with you with Ukraine for as long as it may take." Zaluzhny, who led Ukraine's army from before Russia's 2022 invasion until his dismissal by Zelensky two years later, was appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom in 2024. The popular former general has polled favorably and been seen as a contender to unseat Zelensky were he to stand for any future presidential vote. No election has been called as of April 15, 2025, however -- and the BBC has not declared Zaluzhny "the next President of Ukraine" in a chyron. A BBC spokesperson told AFP in an April 11, 2025 email that the posts spreading online "are fake screenshots and not genuine BBC News stories." AFP found no evidence of any such segment on BBC's website or YouTube channel, although the outlet did report on comments Zaluzhny made about the Trump administration and speculation that Zelensky could choose to hold elections (archived here and here). The picture of Zaluzhny used in the posts is not a BBC photo, but a picture he posted on Telegram in October 2024 (archived here). AFP has debunked other misinformation about Russia's invasion of Ukraine here.
