Former Ukrainian military chief: election bid out of the question for now

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's Ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, believes that any discussion of his participation in potential elections is premature while the war with Russia continues.

Source: Zaluzhnyi speaking at Chatham House in London, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine

Quote: "As of today, nothing gives me any grounds even to think about this. Sadly, the situation is what it is. When the war ends and martial law in Ukraine is lifted – I would like to draw your attention to the fact that you should start thinking in your own countries about what martial law is; it is a very specific condition – and it will end only when the country's recovery is completed – then we will talk about it."

Details: Zaluzhnyi also said it is "very bad" when Ukraine's domestic political issues are discussed internationally, emphasising that this "should be taboo".

Background:

• In an interview with the Associated Press, Zaluzhnyi spoke for the first time about tensions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, particularly the strain that arose in September 2022 when officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) forced their way into a temporary military command post in Kyiv to conduct searches.
• Responding to a question on whether Zaluzhnyi's comments marked the beginning of his election campaign, Zelenskyy told AFP that discussing the details raised by the former commander-in-chief is "very inappropriate".

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!