Trump says Ukraine needs a new president as debate grows over Zelenskyy's possible challengers

United States President Donald Trump has said he thinks Ukraine should have a new president, adding fresh pressure on Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a time when the country remains under martial law. The remarks have intensified discussion in Kyiv about who could emerge as a challenger if an election were held after the war. The immediate focus has fallen on former military figures, especially Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who is now Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom.

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Trump made the comments on Saturday, saying it was time for Ukraine to get a new president and linking his criticism to Zelenskyy's strikes on Russian refineries, which he said had affected global diesel supplies. Zelenskyy's five-year term expired in 2024, but Ukraine's constitution and martial law allow him to remain in office during wartime. In response, Zelenskyy said he would support an election if Russian President Vladimir Putin guaranteed a 60-day ceasefire.

The discussion comes as many Ukrainians want political renewal but remain reluctant to hold a presidential vote before the war ends. Analysts quoted in the report said that if elections were held soon, former military commanders would be the most likely rivals to Zelenskyy. Kyiv-based analyst Igar Tyshkevych said one of the former military leaders would probably be Zelenskyy's strongest opponent if a fast election were organised.

Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based Penta think tank, said Zaluzhnyi has been the most probable alternative since at least 2023 and especially after his resignation in 2024. Zaluzhnyi's standing appears to rest heavily on his wartime reputation. He helped defend Kyiv in the early weeks of Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion and later led counteroffensives that returned 40 percent of Russian-controlled territory to Ukraine, according to the report.

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A poll by the Rating Group on October 8 found that 64 percent of respondents trust him, while 25 percent distrust him. That level of support makes him the clearest potential rival mentioned in the material, ahead of older political figures such as former president Viktor Poroshenko and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. The report also names other possible contenders, including intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov and reform-minded official Mykhailo Fedorov.

However, it says Poroshenko, who lost to Zelenskyy in 2019, and Tymoshenko, who is being investigated for corruption, would not be competitive in a near-term race. The broader significance lies in how wartime leadership, public trust and the timing of any future election are now being discussed alongside the military and diplomatic pressures facing Ukraine. What remains unclear is whether any election could be organised soon, and under what security conditions.

Zelenskyy's proposal for a vote is tied to a ceasefire guarantee from Moscow, which is not in place. For now, the question of succession remains hypothetical, but the debate has highlighted the political weight of Ukraine's military leadership and the uncertainty surrounding the country's postwar transition.

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