Zaluzhnyi denies election rumors, says he’s not forming political parties

“I reject any notion of holding elections during wartime,” Zaluzhnyi said in a Telegram post on Oct. 8.

“Anyone approached to join any [political] process or organization in my name should report it to law enforcement. I am not creating headquarters or parties, and I have no ties to any political force, as a matter of principle.”

He accused the media of “instantly amplifying fakes in a country at war” in sync with Russian propaganda. Zaluzhnyi suggested such anonymously sourced reports divide the Ukrainian public at a time when national unity is essential for the country’s survival.

He reiterated that as long as the war continues, elections in Ukraine are impossible.

Earlier, Oksana Torop, Zaluzhnyi’s media adviser, told NV that despite repeated rumors, his position “is clear and unchanged.”

French publication Intelligence Online recently reported that Ukrainian Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov could also harbor presidential ambitions, allegedly with backing from the State Defense NGO.

Zaluzhnyi served as Commander-in-Chief between July 2021 and February 2024 and is widely viewed as a pivotal figure who saved Ukraine from collapsing during the opening months of Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022. Opinion polls consistently show him to be popular enough to challenge Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in any future elections.

A spring 2025 survey by the Centre for Social and Market Research SOCIS had Zelenskyy lead with 21.2% of the vote in a hypothetical presidential contest, with Zaluzhnyi a close second at 19.4%. In a head-to-head runoff, the survey projected Zaluzhnyi would win 63.7% of the vote, nearly double Zelenskyy’s share.