Ukraine’s constitution says presidential elections are prohibited while the country is in a state of war, making it difficult to hold free and fair elections, which was a rare consolation for President Volodymyr Zelensky, who at least didn’t have to worry about a political campaign. The plans were scrapped by US President Donald Trump, who disagrees with this.
Ukraine’s constitution says presidential elections are prohibited while the country is in a state of war, making it difficult to hold free and fair elections, which was a rare consolation for President Volodymyr Zelensky, who at least didn’t have to worry about a political campaign, The Telegraph reports. The plans were scrapped by US President Donald Trump, who disagrees. Zelensky promised to serve only one term as president during the 2019 campaign and his popularity has steadily declined as the war has dragged on, with rivals old and new hinting at replacing him.
WAR HERO
Although Zelensky is the face of Ukrainian heroism abroad, in Kiev it is General Valery Zaluzhny who led the defense at the beginning of the war. Last year, Zelensky dismissed him from his post and appointed him ambassador to London. Although the official reason was a disagreement over military strategy, many suspect that the president saw him as a rival for power. Zaluzhny has given vague hints that he will one day run for the post.
PUTIN’S “PUPPET”
Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk has been a key power broker between Kiev and Moscow for years. He was so close to Vladimir Putin that the Russian leader became godfather to his youngest daughter. He was arrested in 2021 on suspicion of supporting Russian separatists. The move angered Putin and was seen as one of the sparks for his “special military operation,” specifically the invasion of Ukraine. Although he has been stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship, Putin may insist that he be allowed to run in elections.
FORMER PRESIDENT
Petro Poroshenko was Ukraine’s president before Zelensky, who came to power after street protests that toppled Kiev’s pro-Kremlin government in 2014. The billionaire also owns Roshen, Ukraine’s top-selling chocolate brand. He promised during his term to distance the country from Moscow for good. He remains politically ambitious and often visits troops on the front lines.
PIONEERING
Ukraine’s most famous politician, Yulia Tymoshenko, was a leading figure in the first major anti-Kremlin protest. She was internationally acclaimed as a champion of democracy and became the country’s first female prime minister. She was later sentenced to seven years in prison for alleged abuse of power in connection with gas contracts, which she says were orchestrated by pro-Kremlin rivals.
BOXER
The current mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, was once one of the world’s most successful boxers. The son of a Soviet general, who speaks four languages fluently, left a lucrative sports career for politics a little over a decade ago, determined to steer Ukraine on a pro-European path. Early in the war, he became a powerful symbol of Kiev’s defiance and visited the battlefields.
THE SPY FROM KIEV
The head of Kiev’s military intelligence service, Major General Kirill Budanov, became famous for orchestrating sabotage behind enemy lines. He has a reputation for ruthlessness but also efficiency, sometimes using blackmail and deception to force Russians to carry out attacks. Putin is said to have tried to assassinate him at least ten times, but he is currently focused on winning the war and is unlikely to seek political office.
KREMLIN ALLY
The party of former Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yuriy Boyko was one of a number of pro-Kremlin movements that were banned after the war began. Last December, Boyko sparked controversy over a video in which he criticized Ukrainian nationalist “radicals” for tearing down statues of Russian historical figures, renaming Soviet streets after famous Ukrainians and generally trying to suppress the use of the Russian language, The Telegraph reports.
