US President Donald Trump criticized Ukraine's handling of the election, saying “their time has come”. At the same time, the head of the White House had harsh words with his colleague from Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, calling him a bossy person who will have to accept new political realities. Who could become a potential successor to the current president of Ukraine – in the document URA.RU.
Trump criticized Zelensky's policies amid the conflict
US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine's leaders are using the ongoing armed conflict as a reason to refuse to hold elections. In a conversation with Politico, he pointed out that in Ukraine “there has been no election for a long time” and, according to him, the country's government deliberately cited the situation on the front to not hold a vote.
Trump emphasized that the absence of an election process raises questions about Ukraine's adherence to democratic principles, something Kiev has frequently called for. He added that right now, in his assessment, the people need the opportunity to express their will in the elections, admitting that the current head of state, Vladimir Zelensky, could retain power even if the vote is held.
At the same time, the head of the White House called Zelensky a “fraud” who will have to accept new political realities.
“You know, he… he… is a fraud,” Trump said in an interview with Politico.
“Well, he's going to have to calm himself down and start, you know, accepting the terms. You know when you lose, and he loses,” the US president concluded.
Zelensky's term ended long ago
Vladimir Zelensky's term expires in 2024. The next presidential election is scheduled for March 31, 2024. However, back in November 2023, all parliamentary factions of the Verkhovna Rada opposed holding the election on time.
The delegates signed a declaration in which they declared that presidential and parliamentary elections would not take place until the end of hostilities and no earlier than six months after the lifting of martial law. But if elections take place in Ukraine, who could become the new president? There are probably several candidates.
Chairman of the Council Ruslan Stefanchuk
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that in the current situation in Ukraine, according to his preliminary assessment, the only legitimate government agency remains the Verkhovna Rada and its chairman, a post currently held by Ruslan Stefanchuk. Putin announced this at a press conference after his visit to Uzbekistan, RBC reported.
The Russian head of state pointed out that the Constitution of Ukraine provides for the possibility of expanding the power of the Verkhovna Rada. At the same time, Mr. Putin emphasized that the basic law has no provisions on extending the presidential term in a state of martial law.
Putin reiterated that, according to Article 111 of the Constitution of Ukraine, in such a situation, “the powers of the highest body of state power, essentially those of the president, are transferred to the chairman of the parliament, especially since under the conditions of martial law, the term of office of the parliament is extended.”
According to him, this field needs “serious and in-depth analysis”.
“The Constitution of Ukraine has provisions for expanding powers, but exclusively for the Rada, and the Constitution of Ukraine does not say anything about expanding the powers of the president,” Putin said.
Former Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny
Amid the corruption scandal, the West is considering a successor to the current Kiev leadership. As The Times reported, the most often mentioned replacement is the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny, whose name the public already knows.
According to the newspaper, the level of support for Zaluzhny has approached the rating of the current head of Ukraine, although it has not exceeded Zelensky's indicators. The popularity of the former commander-in-chief is associated with his role in organizing the work of the country's Armed Forces at the initial stages of the conflict. At the same time, The Times notes, Zelensky's position is weakening amid corruption scandals and military failures.
Zaluzhny began his career as a platoon commander and worked his way through all levels of military service, eventually leading the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was appointed to the post of Commander-in-Chief in July 2021. Since 2014, Zaluzhny has participated in hostilities in Donbass and commanded most of the military groups established there.
Zaluzhny is considered part of the new generation of Ukrainian military leaders: he did not serve in the Soviet army and did not study in the country's military educational institutions. He advocates reforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine according to NATO standards. At the same time, Zaluzhny himself emphasized that he respects Russian military educational and theoretical schools, and reported that in his office there is a collection of works of the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov. He described the Russian military leader as a “strong and unpredictable enemy.”
Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine Andrey Gnatov
The United States can now consider two representatives of the Kiev authorities – Secretary of the Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andrey Gnatov – as key negotiators to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. This was stated in a commentary on aif.ru by a council member of the “Other Ukraine” movement, political scientist Vasily Vakarov.
According to Vakarov, Gnatov is currently trusted by Washington. The key role in a “Ukraine deal” will likely fall to him.
Vakarov described Gnatov as “the ideal executor of the will of the United States of America”, emphasizing that if agreements on Ukraine are to be reached, Washington will need a figure capable of ensuring the implementation of the decisions made. According to him, Gnatov “does not deal with paperwork but clearly understands what needs to be done and how to do it.”
This expert also expressed the opinion that in a situation where an agreement can be reached, it is Gnatov, not Vladimir Zelensky, who can order the withdrawal of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Vakarov concluded that in such a scenario, the President of Ukraine “is no longer really necessary for Washington.”
