Potential candidates for the presidency of Ukraine (from right to left): Andriy Sipeha, Petro Poroshenko, Mykhailo Fedorov, Yevheny Khmara, Kyrilo Budanov and Valery Zaluzhny (agencies)
Afrasianet - The White House wants the departure of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose presidential term ends in 2024, amid difficulties in holding elections in Ukraine amid the war, and US President Donald Trump's renewed attack on his Ukrainian counterpart in the wake of the crisis of targeting energy facilities that has hurt global diesel supplies, at a time when military leaders are topping the list of candidates for the Ukrainian presidency.
Although Zelenskyy's five-year term ended two years ago, Ukraine's constitution and martial law give him an extension to stay in office during the war, despite candidates who have the support of Ukrainians.
On Saturday, the US president renewed his attack on Zelensky, saying "I think it's time for Ukraine to get a new president," adding that "he should have held elections, and he could have settled this issue many times," in one of his fiercest attacks on Ukraine's president, who was elected in 2019.
Trump accused Zelensky of being the main obstacle to a peaceful settlement of the war with Russia, saying, "Russia wants to reach an agreement... But Zelensky, for some reason, does not want to reach an agreement."
Trump also noted that the Ukrainian president caused diesel prices to rise, considering that "Zelensky's strikes over the course of months against Russian oil refineries have damaged global diesel supplies."
Trump's harsh criticism of his Ukrainian counterpart is not the first of its kind, most notably the one he directed at him during their tense meeting in front of the cameras in the Oval Office in February 2025.
In response to Trump's remarks, Zelensky suggested holding elections if Russian President Vladimir Putin secured a 60-day ceasefire.
Although Trump's wish is not binding on Ukraine, many Ukrainians want to renew their country's political class, but are reluctant to hold a presidential election before the end of the four-and-a-half-year war. Who can compete with Zelensky for the presidency?
Valery Zaluzhny: the most likely alternative
Valeriy Zaluzhny, Ukraine's former top military commander and current ambassador to the United Kingdom, tops Zelensky's list of rivals .
Zaluzhny, 53, is trusted by nearly two-thirds of Ukrainians (64 percent), according to an Oct. 8 poll by the Kyiv-based Rating Group, while 25 percent distrust him.
He was sacked in 2023 after the long-awaited summer counteroffensive failed to produce any tangible results.
Zaluzhny is an enigmatic figure, especially since he does not divulge his views on the most pressing issues of the postwar era. But analysts see him as the most dangerous contender capable of defeating Zelensky.
Kyrilo Budanov: Great confidence
Kyrylo Budanov is the second most popular military commander with a chance to take over Ukraine's presidency. The 40-year-old former senior military intelligence official was appointed head of Zelenskyy's office in January.
Budanov led significant operations against Russia, including a raid on Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, with the aim of planting explosives at a military airport.
In 2020, Zelensky appointed him head of the Defense Department's Intelligence Directorate, which under his tenure has transformed into an offensive special operations service that relies heavily on technology.
Budanov has the confidence of 53 percent of Ukrainians, while 31 percent of them do not trust him, according to the poll conducted by the Rating Group.
Mykhailo Fedorov: The youngest candidates
Mykhailo Fedorov, 35, is the youngest figure on the list of potential presidential candidates. He rose to fame after Zelensky appointed him minister of digital transformation in 2019, where he succeeded in drastically simplifying bureaucratic procedures in a country plagued by rampant corruption.
In January, Zelensky appointed Fedorov, who had no military background, as defense minister in charge of logistics, budgets, reforms and anti-corruption measures, as well as deals to secure billions of dollars in Western aid or loans.
Fedorov has worked to address corrupt practices by making the procurement of new weapons, food, and medical supplies more transparent.
However, these reforms have angered Oleksandr Syrsky, the de facto commander-in-chief of the armed forces, who reportedly sought Fedorov's dismissal in July.
Fedorov's supporters have rallied across Ukraine for weeks, while his popular approval ratings have risen from 35 percent in June to 65 percent in July, according to polls.
However, in August, he made a step that was not widely accepted when he declared that presidential elections should be held in Ukraine, dropping his current approval rating to 38 percent.
Yevheni Khemara: Unknown Minister of Defense
Yevheny Khamara, a general who succeeded Fedorov as defense minister, is also a potential candidate, and although he was a relatively unknown figure before his appointment in July, he is trusted by 29 percent of Ukrainians, while 16 percent do not trust him.
Although he is considered a candidate, 43% of those surveyed by the Rating Group were unaware of his identity.
Zelensky has a chance to win a second term if elections are held (Getty Images)
Who else is on the list?
Zelensky still has a chance of winning a second term if he has the confidence of 53 percent of Ukrainians, even though 40 percent said they do not trust him.
Zelensky was elected in 2019 with 73% of the vote, the highest result in Ukraine's history since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The return of hostility on Trump's part may once again be in Zelensky's favor. After his spat with the US president in the Oval Office in 2025, Zelensky's approval ratings reached an all-time high of 67 percent.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sepeha, a career diplomat who has secured vital support from Turkey and Poland, and former President Petro Poroshenko have slim chances of winning, each with the trust of 24 percent of Ukrainians.
I am ready to give up the presidency and my goal is to end the war
In this context, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his readiness to relinquish his position after the end of the war with Russia, in light of the continuation of the battles and the declaration of each side inflicting losses on the other side.
Zelenskyy told the American website Axios that his goal is to end the war and not to continue running for the presidency, and said that security concerns may make organizing elections difficult but possible.
The Ukrainian president called on Russian officials to "end the war or look for shelters that protect them from bombs."
In response, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, told Ukrainians that Moscow could use weapons from which shelters would not protect them.
The Kremlin said Russia was open to peace talks on Ukraine, adding in a statement: "We assume that US President Donald Trump remains committed to working towards peace between Russia and Ukraine."
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