General, envoy … future Ukraine president? Valerii Zaluzhnyi’s London waiting game

The Guardian ^ | Mon 25 Aug 2025 | Shaun Walker

[MinorityRepublican]

One afternoon in early March, three days after the disastrous showdown between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, there was a flurry of telephone activity at the Ukrainian embassy in London.

JD Vance’s team was on the line and wanted to set up a call with Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK and formerly the commander in chief of the army.

The US vice-president had been instrumental in provoking the confrontation between Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, from his perch on an adjacent sofa. Now, Vance and others in Trump’s orbit were apparently sounding out potential alternatives to the troublesome Zelenskyy.

Vance’s team “tried various diplomatic and other channels” to get through to Zaluzhnyi, said one of three sources with knowledge of the efforts who spoke with the Guardian.

A White House official told the Guardian the attempted call was “standard diplomatic outreach” on the part of Vance. “The vice president regularly interacts with government officials from Ukraine and our European allies,” said the official.

The episode was reflective of the political tightrope that Zaluzhnyi has walked since Zelenskyy dismissed him as army chief last February and dispatched him to London. On the one hand, accustomed to working within a strict military hierarchy, Zaluzhnyi remains loyal to the government he serves. On the other, many – both at home and abroad – see him as Ukraine’s natural next president, and are pushing him to launch a political campaign.

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TOPICS: Ukraine
KEYWORDS: 202502; 202503; guardianuk; irongeneral; proxywar; putinswar; shaunwalker; theguardian; ukraine; valeriizaluzhnyi; welfarewar; zaluzhnyi

[shanover]

If Zelensky leaves, the war is over.

[chajin]

Why can’t they find someone whose name we can spell?

[Timber Rattler]

Not going to happen. This is a nonstory since Zaluzhnyi has no interest in politics, much less supplanting his boss Zelensky during wartime.

At any rate, even if he did, he'd be even more hard core than Zelensky in fighting the Russians.

From the article:

He would style himself as a tough, wartime leader who would promise “blood, sweat and tears” to the Ukrainian people in return for saving the nation, channelling Winston Churchill. In one private conversation, he said: “I don’t know if the Ukrainian people will be ready for that, ready for these tough policies.”

So enough of the fanciful thinking...

[MinorityRepublican]

This is a nonstory since Zaluzhnyi has no interest in politics, much less supplanting his boss Zelensky during wartime.

After the war ends, Zelensky will probably retire from politics.

Churchill did not win the election after WWII ended.

[Timber Rattler]

But he won reelection in 1951, after Atlee's Labour government screwed up Britain's recovery. Buyer's remorse from the British voters...

Winston Churchill back in office, 1951

[MinorityRepublican]

Attlee created the NHS. Ever since then, they’ve become socialist.

[Old West Conservative]

Ppl hereabouts can’t even spell Trump accurately thanks to auto-correct and undue haste

[rfp1234]

Zelenskiy is not necessarily a hardcore nationalist.
Zaluzhnyi is.

[Mount Athos]

Mayor of Kiev is well respected and capable, and so is this guy from what I hear.