The long drawn Russia-Ukraine war may end soon, thanks to the ongoing peace efforts by incoming US President Donald Trump. In that scenario, Zelensky would have to face elections, something that he has been trying to avoid or delay for many months now. But guess what, Zelensky seems to have devised a great plan that he believes can help him retain the power despite being one of the most unpopular leaders of the country.
It is to be noted that Zelensky’s mandate expired in May last year. So far, he has refused to hold fresh elections given the ongoing war against Russia. But peace in Ukraine would mean a new threat to Zelensky’s political career. Here’s why:
Zelensky’s approval ratings sank to the lowest during the past year. A survey of 2,000 people conducted days after Trump’s victory in the US found that only 52% of the people in Ukraine had confidence in Zelensky. A year ago, the figure stood at 77 per cent. The number of people saying they don’t trust Zelensky has doubled over the past months. Notably, Zelensky’s approval ratings were above 90 per cent before the Russia-Ukraine war began.
Amid the ongoing war, a new trend has emerged in Ukraine. Members and officials of the military are becoming popular among the people.
One of them is Kirill Budanov, chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense (HUR). He is perceived as a major player in potential future presidential elections. According to media reports, Budanov has not made up his mind to join politics so far but Zelensky is pushing him to do so. Some believe Zelensky wants to retain power using Budanov as a political tool.
The biggest political challenge to Zelensky may come from another highly popular figure, who earlier served as the commander-in-chief of the Ukraine’s armed forces. His name is: Valery Zaluzhny.
Zaluzhny is no ordinary leader. He is currently Ukraine’s most popular leader. In December, a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that Zaluzhny enjoyed the trust of 88% of Ukrainians.
After all, he is best known for saving the country during the early weeks of the Russian invasion. The two leaders remained at odds because Zaluzhny always preferred pragmatic war designs whereas Zelensky would often prefer fancy, more sellable and media-friendly plans.
When Zelensky first proposed the idea of Kursk offensive on Russian soil, he was advised by Zaluzhny not to go ahead with it. But in Ukraine, nobody is allowed to disagree with the Supreme leader. Zaluzhny was later fired from the position.
According to a report in Time, even when Zaluzhny was made to put in his papers, Zelensky’s office remained worried that the general could decide to enter the political arena, thus posing a direct threat to Zelensky’s authority. Then, Zelensky played a sort of masterstroke and sent him to UK to serve as Kyiv’s ambassador.
While General Zaluzhny has never publicly said he wants to enter politics, some of his team at the General Staff strongly believe that the former general should fight elections. They thought about how he could use his popularity to either start a political party or run for president. Already, several opposition parties have invited him to join their campaign.
Zelensky knows if Zaluzhny manages to grab the presidential chair, the former general might open probe into his incendiary actions that led to the death of countless Kyiv soldiers. He might also reveal how inefficiently Zelensky ran one of the most corrupt governments in the world. That’s why, the anxious president is now pushing Kirill Budanov to fight elections and prevent Zaluzhny from becoming the President.
