Ex-military chief Zaluzhnyi again denies running political campaign, supporting elections during war
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.K. and former top military commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi said in an Oct. 8 Facebook post that he has no plans to launch a political party and does not support holding elections while the war continues.
Zaluzhnyi’s statement follows a report by the magazine Intelligence Online, which claimed that several senior Ukrainian military officials were allegedly approached on his behalf with offers to join the parliamentary list of a political party he was said to be forming.
"It is unfortunate that, despite having the means to verify information, it is our own domestic media that so readily spreads misinformation in a country at war. Sadly, it’s no longer surprising that this often happens in sync with Russian propaganda," Zaluzhnyi wrote on Facebook.
"I do not support holding elections during wartime. Anyone who receives an offer — allegedly on my behalf — to join any initiative through any organization should report it to law enforcement. I am not creating any headquarters or political parties, and I have no affiliation with any political force," Zaluzhnyi added.
The former military chief connected the recent reports to Russia’s disinformation campaign, which he said is intended to sow division within Ukrainian society.
Ukraine cannot hold elections while martial law remains in place due to the ongoing war with Russia.
Still, speculation has persisted about Zaluzhnyi's political future, as well as around election preparations in the country for when and if there is a peace deal that allows for them.
The ex-commander-in-chief, who was dismissed in February 2024 and later appointed ambassador to the U.K., is widely seen as a potential challenger to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
U.S. journalist Katie Livingston wrote on X on Aug. 19 that Zaluzhnyi had already set up a campaign staff in London.
According to Livingston, Oksana Torop, who previously worked as a journalist with the BBC's Ukrainian service and is currently Zaluzhnyi’s media advisor, is responsible for media strategy.
Torop later denied the claim, arguing that during wartime, the focus should be on preserving the country, not on holding elections.
According to an August survey by the Rating sociological group, 74% of respondents said they trust Zaluzhnyi. Zelensky was trusted by 68%, while 59% expressed trust in Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov.
Despite Zaluzhnyi’s high trust rating, the poll found that if presidential elections were held in August, 35% of respondents would vote for Zelensky, while 25% would support Zaluzhnyi.
