Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s future as president of Ukraine was cast into doubt by longtime supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, and others after the embattled leader got into a nationally televised spat with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office Friday.
Graham’s call wasn’t the first time key Republicans have suggested Zelenskyy might need to step down, or at least stand for re-election. Trump pushed the idea earlier this month following a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump first said Ukraine should hold elections after falsely claiming he only enjoyed a 4% approval rating, though under Ukraine’s constitution the country cannot hold elections when Martial Law is in effect during a time of war.
Zelenskyy, whose approval rating is closer to 63% according to a Reuters report, on Friday once again reiterated he would resign if Kyiv was granted NATO membership.
Ultimately, he emphasized during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, that just like in the U.S. where ‘Americans vote for American president,’ just as ‘each European country vote for their president,’ the same sovereign right is held in Ukraine – suggesting it is not a negotiating tactic he will allow Trump to use to appeal to Putin.
But who may be in the running should Zelenskyy ever decide to step down?
Vitali Klitschko
The former boxer-turned politician who has served as the mayor of Kyiv since 2014 with strong support among those living in the capital city, has also proven himself on the international stage.
In a trip to Brussels earlier this month, Klitschko stressed the need to stand behind Zelenskyy as he fielded verbal attacks from the Trump administration while also trying to counter Putin’s war.
The voice of support for the Ukrainian leaders was particularly noticeable given his previous criticism of Zelenskyy.
During his trip last week, Klitschko reportedly emphasized that an election could ‘destroy the country from within’ while it faces existential threats from the north and on its eastern flank.
Ruslan Stefanchuk
Stefanchuk, the chairman of Ukraine’s Parliament, has also reportedly been floated as a potential future contender for the top role in Ukraine.
Though Stefanchuk is said to be a top ally of Zelenskyy, he has ardently rejected the recent international suggestions that Ukraine hold elections.
In a Facebook post earlier this month he argued that ‘If there is anyone who needs to be forced into real, free and fair elections, it is [Putin].’
He noted that Ukraine needs ‘bullets, not ballots,’ according to a report by Newsweek.
Kyrylo Budanov
Head of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency, Budanov, could be another who may be a contender for the top job in Kyiv given.
Budanov, who has not expressed a desire to seek high office according to a Newsweek report, happens to have an even higher trust rating than Zelenskyy among Ukrainians.
The military intelligence head earlier this month apparently voiced his confidence that Ukraine may finally be able to reach a peace deal after three years of war.
‘I think it is going to happen. There are most of the components for it to happen,’ Budanov reportedly said during a YouTube interview. ‘How long it will be, how effective it will be – [is] another question.’
General Valery Zaluzhny
The former Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, Zaluzhny, and presently his country’s ambassador to the U.K. is seen as a popular and credible successor to Zelenskyy if the president were to step aside.
Zaluzhny and Zelenskyy have had their differences, resulting in the general being dismissed from his military post in 2024. Carnegie Politika blog recently reported that his popularity is strong, with 80% of Ukranians saying they trust him. The publication also noted that a hypothetical second-round runoff between the two resulted in a statistical tie.
Zaluzhny has not said if he would challenge Zelenskyy or if he was even interested in running for the president.
