Zelensky’s team hopes Kirill Budanov can offset the popularity of former top general Valery Zaluzhny, RBK-Ukraine has reported
Political advisers to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky believe military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov can help him remain in power if elections take place in the country, the news outlet RBK-Ukraine reported on Monday.
General elections have been suspended under martial law in Ukraine since February 2022, but local media report growing expectations that regular campaigning will resume once the conflict with Russia is resolved. Public support for Zelensky and his political party has dwindled since the start of the conflict, according to opinion polls, while members of the military are broadly popular in Ukraine.
Budanov is perceived as a major player in potential future presidential elections, according to RBK-Ukraine. An internal government survey conducted last spring ranked him as the second most promising candidate after former top general Valery Zaluzhny, insiders have told the outlet.
Last May, Zelensky dismissed Zaluzhny as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, prompting some observers to link the general’s departure to his high public approval, which has reportedly surpassed that of the country’s leader.
Zelensky’s team has allegedly offered Zaluzhny the opportunity to lead his ‘Servant of the People’ party as an alternative to running for president. The four-star general, who is now Kiev’s ambassador to the UK, has not commented on his political plans.
Sources close to military intelligence told RBK-Ukraine that Budanov has not made a decision regarding whether he wants to go into politics. Government insiders have said Zelensky’s advisors view him as a possible counterweight to Zaluzhny.
Military endorsements of political parties would be valuable before a possible parliamentary election, the report stated, and many politicians are courting Zaluzhny for his support.
Zelensky’s ‘Servant of the People’ party won a majority in the parliament in 2019 soon after his landslide presidential win. However, the brand has become “toxic,” RBK-Ukraine reports, so insiders expect it to be renamed ‘The Zelensky bloc’ or something similar.
The party is currently projected to win only one fifth of the seats in a new parliamentary election, if it takes place. The outcome could vary depending on the terms of a potential peace settlement with Russia and Zelensky’s ability to present it to the public as a victory.
Moscow has indicted Budanov as a terrorist for his suspected role in orchestrating deadly sabotage attacks within Russia. His intelligence agency, HUR, has been accused of masterminding the 2022 truck bombing of the Crimean Bridge and dozens of other acts of terrorism.
