Following a reportedly difficult meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in early March, the Ukrainian embassy in London became a scene of intense activity. JD Vance’s team was reportedly trying to contact Valeriy Zaluzhny, the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, who is now serving as Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK. The meeting in the Oval Office between Trump and Zelenskyy played a key role in causing the conflict. After this discussion, Zelenskyy reportedly became less popular with people close to Trump. According to sources, Vance’s team made many attempts to reach Zaluzhny through diplomatic and other channels. After consulting with Zelenskyy’s Chief of Staff, Zaluzhny decided not to answer the phone.
The US administration allegedly wanted a strong opponent to replace Zelenskyy, which led to the outreach to Zaluzhny. There are reports of a troubled relationship between Zaluzhny and Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy removed Zaluzhny from his position as head of the military last February and sent him to London.
The US attempts were unsuccessful. Zaluzhny has remained loyal to the government despite his disagreements with Zelenskyy. Many people in Ukraine and other countries see him as a possible next president and are trying to get him to start a political campaign.
Due to the war, Ukraine has postponed its elections. Even Zelenskyy’s main political opponents do not want to hold elections now. Relations between Zelenskyy and Trump have improved since the meeting in the Oval Office. The Ukrainian president met with Trump at the White House last week in a more friendly environment. Everyone in Ukraine knows that elections will eventually happen. Polls show that Zaluzhny, who played a key role in the initial defense against the Russian attacks, is the only candidate who could seriously challenge Zelenskyy.