Newsweek names four candidates as possible successors to Zelenskyy following Trump's call for a change of president in Ukraine:
- Former head of military intelligence (HUR) Kyrylo Budanov ;
- Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov;
- Former President Petro Poroshenko.
- Zelenskyy's main rival – Zaluzhnyi. According to the Rating Group, 64% of respondents trust him.
Newsweek has put out a shortlist of candidates who could replace Vladimir Zelensky amid US President Donald Trump's calls for a change of power in Kiev.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Newsweek, the main contenders are former Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, now ambassador to the United Kingdom Valery Zaluzhny, former head of the General Staff Kirill Budanov, former Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov and former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko with Zaluzhny named as the most likely to unseat Zelensky if an election were to take place. According to a Rating Group survey, 64% of respondents trust Zaluzhny compared to 53% trusting Zelensky. Almost 23% of respondents would vote for Zelensky, while more than 20% for Zaluzhny.
Budanov's trust rating stands at about 53%, and Fyodorov's at 38%. 7.6% of respondents are ready to vote for Fyodorov in the first round, while 6.7% are ready to vote for Budanov.
Poroshenko, who served as the country's president in 2014-2019, remains an active opposition MP, according to the magazine. In 2025, Zelensky imposed sanctions against him, including asset freezes, on grounds related to national security.