Latest news with #ValeryZaluzhny
Russia Today
a day ago
- 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.
Russia Today
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kiev can't retake lost regions
Kiev should abandon its ambition to regain control over the territories it has lost to Russia, Valery Zaluzhny, the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, has said. Only through a 'miracle' could Ukraine achieve such a goal, according to the general. 'I hope that there are no people in this hall who are still hoping for some miracle… that will bring peace to Ukraine and will bring back the borders of 1991 or 2022,' the former commander, who currently serves as Kiev's ambassador to London, told a Ukrainian defense export forum on Thursday. Zaluzhny was referring to Kiev's territorial claims on Crimea and the four former Ukrainian regions that have since joined Russia. Crimea voted to return to Russia in the wake of the Western-backed Maidan coup in Kiev in 2014, and the two Donbass republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, followed suit in autumn 2022 following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February of that year. Kiev has never recognized the referendums' results and continues to claim sovereignty over the regions. According to Zaluzhny, Kiev is locked in a 'war of attrition' with Moscow, and Russia still has the resources to strike at Ukrainian targets and conduct offensive operations. Ukraine faces 'a tremendous shortage of human resources and… a catastrophic economic situation,' the retired general warned. Under such circumstances, Ukraine can only wage a 'high-tech war of survival,' where it should strive to use 'minimal resources' to achieve 'maximum' results, Zaluzhny maintained. He said that the country 'is not capable' of waging any other type of war and 'should not even think about it.' Zaluzhny's remarks come amid continued Russian advances on the front line. In late April, Moscow's troops fully liberated Kursk Region on the Ukrainian border, driving out Kiev's forces that had occupied some areas there last year. Over the past seven days alone, the Russian military has taken control of six settlements, including four villages in the Donetsk People's Republic, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Last week, Moscow and Kiev also sat down for the first direct peace talks in some three years, after President Vladimir Putin suggested resuming the process without any preconditions. The two sides are now expected to exchange draft peace proposals, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Russia Today
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Former top general pours cold water on Kiev's ambitions
Kiev should abandon its ambition to regain control over the territories it has lost to Russia, Valery Zaluzhny, the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, has said. Only through a 'miracle' could Ukraine achieve such a goal, according to the general. 'I hope that there are no people in this hall who are still hoping for some miracle… that will bring peace to Ukraine and will bring back the borders of 1991 or 2022,' the former commander, who currently serves as Kiev's ambassador to London, told a Ukrainian defense export forum on Thursday. Zaluzhny was referring to Kiev's territorial claims on Crimea and the four former Ukrainian regions that have since joined Russia. Crimea voted to return to Russia in the wake of the Western-backed Maidan coup in Kiev in 2014, and the two Donbass republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, followed suit in autumn 2022 following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February of that year. Kiev has never recognized the referendums' results and continues to claim sovereignty over the regions. According to Zaluzhny, Kiev is locked in a 'war of attrition' with Moscow, and Russia still has the resources to strike at Ukrainian targets and conduct offensive operations. Ukraine faces 'a tremendous shortage of human resources and… a catastrophic economic situation,' the retired general warned. Under such circumstances, Ukraine can only wage a 'high-tech war of survival,' where it should strive to use 'minimal resources' to achieve 'maximum' results, Zaluzhny maintained. He said that the country 'is not capable' of waging any other type of war and 'should not even think about it.' Zaluzhny's remarks come amid continued Russian advances on the front line. In late April, Moscow's troops fully liberated Kursk Region on the Ukrainian border, driving out Kiev's forces that had occupied some areas there last year. Over the past seven days alone, the Russian military has taken control of six settlements, including four villages in the Donetsk People's Republic, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Last week, Moscow and Kiev also sat down for the first direct peace talks in some three years, after President Vladimir Putin suggested resuming the process without any preconditions. The two sides are now expected to exchange draft peace proposals, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Russia Today
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine's former top general says NATO's ‘Article 5' doesn't exist
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, stipulating that an attack on one NATO member is to be considered an attack on all, is not being implemented in practice, Ukraine's former top general Valery Zaluzhny has said. The US-led bloc's Eastern European members are aware that NATO has no intention of protecting them from Russia, Zaluzhny, who currently serves as Kiev's ambassador to the UK, said during a meeting with students in the city of Lviv on Wednesday. 'The Baltic States understand that there is no Article 5 and never has been. Poland understands this too as missiles fall there from time to time – sometimes ours, sometimes Russian. Romania understands everything, but keeps silent,' he claimed. The ambassador recalled that when he was still the Ukrainian commander-in-chief, 'they called from Romania and asked me not to say a word' after two alleged Russian drones crashed in Romanian territory. Read more Poland only has ammo for two weeks of war – security chief An official from Bucharest blamed Ukraine for the incident, saying that the UAVs had been diverted to Romania because of the use of electronic warfare by Kiev, he said. ' I told them: 'Shoot them [drones] down. You have 40 F-16 jets',' added Zaluzhny, who was sacked as Kiev's top general in February 2023. He also suggested that even if Ukraine's push to join NATO were to succeed, it would not provide the country with security guarantees. 'It would not give anything besides political protection,' the ambassador insisted. US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said in an interview with Tucker Carlson last week that Vladimir Zelensky and his chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, 'have largely conceded that they are not going to be a member of NATO.' 'I think it is accepted that Ukraine and Russia, if there is going to be a peace deal, Ukraine cannot be a member of NATO,' he said. As for the option of Ukraine getting 'what is called Article 5 protection' from the US or Western European countries without being in NATO 'that is open for discussion,' Witkoff stated. READ MORE: Zelensky aide demands EU combat troops Preventing Kiev from joining NATO, which Moscow views as a hostile bloc, had been named by Moscow as among the reasons for launching its military operation in February 2022. Late last year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Ukraine's membership would be 'unacceptable' and would contradict Russia's stance that 'security of one country cannot be ensured at the expense of the security of another.'
Russia Today
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky would suffer crushing defeat if elections held now
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky would lose to his former commander-in-chief, Valery Zaluzhny, by a large margin if elections were held in Ukraine today, The Economist reports, citing internal polling. Zelensky's five-year presidential term expired in May 2024, and he has refused to hold elections since, citing martial law. Speaking late last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Zelensky no longer has the legitimacy required to sign official agreements. In an article on Wednesday, The Economist said, 'many Ukrainians are clearly frustrated with their war leader.' According to data cited in the report, Zelensky 'would lose a future election by 30% to 65% to Valery Zaluzhny,' if the former commander runs for office. Zaluzhny currently serves as Ukraine's ambassador to the UK. The Economist further claimed that, in sharp contrast to the 90% popularity he supposedly enjoyed during the early days of the conflict in 2022, Zelensky's trust ratings hit a low of 52% last month. On Thursday, Ukraine's media outlet – which is considered to be in opposition to the country's government and has come under pressure from the authorities – cited a recent survey conducted by Socis suggesting that only 15.9% would vote for Zelensky, with Zaluzhny enjoying the support of 27.2% of respondents. The question of Zelensky's popularity at home was raised by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, when he told reporters that the 'leader in Ukraine… he's down at a 4% approval rating.' He added that calls for new elections are 'not a Russia thing,' but rather 'something coming from me, and coming from many other countries also.' Responding to the US president's claim, Zelensky suggested on Wednesday that Trump had fallen for 'Russian disinformation.' He also cited a January poll from the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KMIS) that indicated 57% of Ukrainians trusted him. The Ukrainian leader's remarks apparently did not sit well with Trump, who blasted Zelensky in a post on his Truth Social platform later that day as a 'dictator without elections.' The US president reiterated his allegation that Zelensky 'is very low in Ukrainian Polls,' concluding that he 'better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.' Speaking at the Munich Security Conference last Saturday, the Ukrainian leader said he is 'ready to talk about elections, [but] Ukrainians don't want this.' He suggested that holding a vote amid the conflict with Moscow would undermine national unity.
