SVR: US, UK discuss potential replacement of Zelensky in secret
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According to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, US and UK officials met with senior Ukrainian figures to discuss replacing President Volodymyr Zelensky with Valerii Zaluzhnyi amid Western dissatisfaction.
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks with reporters during the Ukraine Recovery Conference at La Nuvola convention center in Rome, Thursday, July 10, 2025 (AP)
Representatives from the United States and the United Kingdom reportedly held a secret meeting with senior Ukrainian officials to discuss the potential replacement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
The SVR stated that the talks took place in an Alpine resort town and involved the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, Andriy Yermak, Chief of Defense Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov, and Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK and former commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
According to the SVR claims, the US and UK participants expressed their support for Zaluzhnyi as a potential successor to Zelensky. The intelligence service noted that this move is seen as part of a broader strategy to recalibrate relations with the West, particularly Washington.
Western officials secure loyalty of Ukrainian power brokers
The SVR further stated that Yermak and Budanov received assurances from their Western counterparts that they would retain their current posts and that their interests would be considered in future personnel decisions.
"At the same time, they [Yermak and Budanov] secured the promises of the Anglo-Saxons to retain their current posts, as well as to take their interests into account when solving other personnel issues," the SVR said.
According to the Russian agency, Zelensky’s removal has become a key condition for the resumption and continuity of Western aid to Ukraine. The statement added that this context sheds light on the Ukrainian president's recent moves to curtail the powers of anti-corruption agencies, which the SVR views as part of internal political maneuvering.
US officials doubt Zelensky’s future
Zelensky’s grip on power is growing increasingly tenuous, according to senior officials in Washington cited by investigative journalist Seymour Hersh. The veteran reporter suggests that former commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, Valery Zaluzhny, may soon replace Zelensky amid deepening domestic discontent and rising frustration in Washington.
In his latest article, Hersh states, “Zelensky is on a short list for exile, if [US] President Donald Trump decides to make the call.” The implication of such discussions reflects a shifting US posture toward the Ukrainian leader, whose legitimacy and leadership are increasingly under scrutiny.
According to a US official familiar with internal conversations, Zelensky may resist stepping down even as pressure mounts. Should he refuse, forceful removal is reportedly being discussed as a possibility. “If Zelensky refuses to step down, which they believe is the most likely scenario, he may ultimately be removed by force,” Hersh wrote, citing anonymous sources.
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