Former commander-in-chief Zaluzhnyi's team denies preparing for elections in Ukraine and calls media reports "political games"

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, former commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces and current Ambassador to the UK, is not preparing to take part in elections in any form.

Source: Zaluzhnyi's media adviser Oksana Torop in a comment to Ukrainian newspaper NV; Valerii Zaluzhnyi on Facebook

Details: Torop said as long as the war continues, Zaluzhnyi is not thinking about any elections and is not preparing for anything.

"No matter how many times some sources say or write it, his position remains clear and unchanged," she said.

Torop was responding to a report by the French portal Intelligence Online, which claimed that Zaluzhnyi's representatives had approached several senior military officials about joining his parliamentary list in the event that he ran for president.

Torop stressed that the media were spreading information based on anonymous sources without verification.

Quote from Torop: "There is reason to suspect that this information, just like the previous story about the alleged formation of [Zaluzhnyi's campaign – ed.] headquarters in London, is part of the same chain with the same originator. Someone has decided to play political games at a difficult time for the country."

Updated: Zaluzhnyi has said on social media that he does not recognise any proposals to hold elections while the war continues, will not create political parties or headquarters, and has no ties to any political forces.

Quote from Zaluzhnyi: "It is deeply regrettable that, despite having the means to verify information, national media immediately spread falsehoods in a country at war. It no longer surprises me that this often aligns with Russian propaganda.

It is a shame that our media fail to convey to Ukrainian citizens the strategy that would at least give us a fighting chance to hold elections. Instead, thanks to them, we are inundated with information about ratings, parties, headquarters and even who should or should not participate in politics.

I do not recognise any proposals to hold elections during the war. Anyone who receives an offer, supposedly in my name, to join any process through any organisation must report it to law enforcement agencies. I do not establish headquarters or parties and by principle have no ties to any political force."

Details: Zaluzhnyi added that he will continue to serve the state as long as he is able to do so.

Quote from Zaluzhnyi: "The enemy, failing to secure victory on the battlefield as they did 100 years ago, now exploits modern tools – anonymous sources, bots and media – to sow division in our society and prepare us for elections, [and not of the president of Ukrainian] but to the state duma of the country that is killing us. And, as it happens, these anonymous sources will be the last to announce [the election]. Later it will become the truth."

Background:

• Western media have repeatedly published reports about Zaluzhnyi's relationship with the Office of the President of Ukraine.
• In August, The Guardian wrote that Andrii Yermak, Head of the President's Office, visited Zaluzhnyi in London and offered him a role in Volodymyr Zelenskyy's team for future elections, but he declined.
• According to the latest survey by polling organisation Rating, most Ukrainians would vote for Zelenskyy in the next presidential election, but would favour a hypothetical "Zaluzhnyi Party" in parliamentary elections.

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