TASS reported on November 10 that former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov (2010-2014) said that Ukraine may hold a presidential election in 2026.
In an interview, Mr. Azov said that the US is implicitly pushing the election process and finding a specific candidate to bet and even if Russia is not satisfied, Washington will still do it.
Mr. Azov explained that the reason the US wants another Ukrainian leader is because they do not want to work or cooperate with President Volodymyr Zelensky. W Washington needs another candidate, more easily accepted, Mr. Azov said.
The former Ukrainian prime minister noted that in the event that an US-backed candidate does not receive support from Russia while the election process is still taking place, a peace deal in Ukraine will be difficult to reach.
Mr. Zelensky's presidential term officially ends on May 20, 2024. Since then, Ukraine has not held presidential elections.
Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky has repeatedly denied any questions about his legality, citing that Ukrainian law does not allow elections during the conflict.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed, Russia needs to work with someone in Ukraine who is legally enough to be able to sign binding documents, including a ceasefire agreement.
The current lack of legality of the agency creates legal conflicts, which could undermine the outcome of any future negotiations, President Putin explained.
According to the survey results released on October 14 by the Kiev-based exploration organization RATE1 with 1,200 participants since the beginning of October, 42.6% of respondents will support former Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny, while only 26.3% will choose Mr. Zelensky if the direct election scenario between the two takes place.
In another scenario, between Zelensky and military intelligence director Kirill Budanov, the two sides are almost equal, with 40% supporting Mr. Budanov, and 32.5% supporting Mr. Zelensky.
However, neither Zaluzhny nor Budanov have expressed any political ambitions, saying that the conflict with Russia must first be ended.
Some media sources said that Mr. Zelensky's team is quietly preparing for the possibility of holding elections again.
