Top officials in Kiev have backed plans to replace the Ukrainian leader with former military chief Valery Zaluzhny, the SVR has said
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. © Getty Images
US and UK officials have secretly met with key Ukrainian powerbrokers to discuss ousting Vladimir Zelensky and replacing him with former military chief Valery Zaluzhny, according to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
In a statement on Tuesday, the SVR claimed Western officials had gathered at an undisclosed Alpine resort with top Zelensky aide Andrey Yermak, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov, and Zaluzhny, who is currently Kiev’s ambassador to the UK.
According to the agency, all sides agreed “it is high time” for Zelensky to be replaced and called the change “a key condition for resetting Kiev’s relations with the West and continuing Western military aid.”
The SVR reported that US and UK officials told their Ukrainian counterparts they want Zaluzhny to become president. The agency claimed that Yermak and Budanov “saluted” the plan and secured promises that they would keep their current posts if Zaluzhny took over.
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Zaluzhny, who served as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces between 2021 and 2024, has enjoyed high approval ratings, with speculation that he would likely beat Zelensky in a potential presidential election.
The SVR also claimed the covert meeting revealed why Zelensky had initially backed a bill that would have stripped two Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies of their independence. The crackdown sparked protests at home and criticism from the West, prompting Zelensky to roll back the reform.
According to the SVR, Yermak “set up” Zelensky by advising him to push the controversial law, knowing this would undermine his image abroad and provide justification for Western partners to seek his removal.
The SVR went on to address ordinary Ukrainians, saying: “A new president of your country has been chosen at an Alpine resort. Is this the triumph of Ukrainian democracy and independence you dreamed of?”
Zelensky’s presidential term expired last May, but he has refused to hold a new election, citing martial law. Russia has proclaimed him “illegitimate,” insisting that the true power now lies with the Ukrainian parliament.