• Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would lose a fair election due to low approval ratings and internal tensions.
• Zelensky dismissed Putin’s claims, citing a 57 percent approval rating – though polls suggest he could lose to Gen. Valery Zaluzhny in a hypothetical matchup.
• Zaluzhny, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K., is a potential rival with high popularity among the military and public, though his political aspirations are unclear.
• Kyrylo Budanov and Ruslan Stefanchuk are also named as potential presidential candidates.
• Stefanchuk opposes immediate elections, seeking military support instead and suggesting Putin should face fair elections.

Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has no chance of winning if Ukraine holds wartime elections.

The Russian leader put forward this argument during an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin on Monday, Feb. 24. Putin said Zelensky has “absolutely no chance” of winning a fair election due to his plummeting approval ratings and the internal political climate in Ukraine. Zelensky’s only chance to win would be if he rigs the election in his favor – something Putin described as a “bad” prospect due to the vote fraud being “very noticeable.”

According to the Russian leader, Zelensky’s leadership has become “toxic” for Ukrainian society, citing “unjustifiably large or catastrophic losses” in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. He accused Zelensky of sabotaging peace talks to avoid lifting martial law, which would necessitate elections.

“The current head of the Kiev regime is becoming a toxic figure for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) because he gives absurd orders dictated not by military considerations, but by political ones,” the Russian president said. “Therefore, [Zelensky] is a factor in the disintegration of the army, society and the state.”

Moreover, Putin also suggested to Zarubin that Zelensky’s refusal to lift martial law is a deliberate strategy to avoid elections, as doing so would compel Ukraine to hold a vote. The comedian-turned-president’s five-year term expired in May 2024, but he has refused to hold elections, citing the ongoing war with Russia and the imposition of martial law. This reluctance to call elections stems from fears of a potential electoral defeat, Putin and other critics point out.

Zelensky faces growing opposition

U.S. President Donald Trump earlier called for Zelensky to hold elections. In a post on Truth Social, the real estate mogul dubbed the Ukrainian leader a “dictator without elections” and pointed out that Zelensky only has a four percent approval rating.

In turn, Zelensky dismissed Trump’s claims as merely “Russian disinformation.” The Ukrainian president cited a poll from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology that showed 57 percent of Ukrainians approving of his leadership. (Related: Poll showing 57% approval for Zelensky questioned due to BIASES.)

However, polling data cited by The Economist paints a bleaker picture. According to numbers cited by the magazine, Zelensky would lose a hypothetical election against former AFU commander-in-chief, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny. The “Iron General” would win a hypothetical elections with 65 percent of the vote, compared to the comedian-turned-president’s 30 percent.

Zaluzhny was named as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom in February 2024, following a spat with Zelensky. Since then, he has emerged as a potential political rival – with his popularity among both the military and the general public fueling speculation about a future presidential bid.

While he has not officially declared his candidacy, Zaluzhny has not ruled out the possibility of running for president. He stated that he would address such questions “when the appropriate conditions come.”

Aside from Zaluzhny, other potential successors have emerged. These include Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence under the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk.

Budanov has hinted at the possibility of a ceasefire this year during an interview with Eynulla Fatullayev. Meanwhile, Stefanchuk – who serves as the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament – dismissed calls for elections, insisting that Ukraine needs “bullets, not ballots.”

“If there is anyone who needs to be forced into real, free and fair elections, it is [Putin],” Stefanchuk said.

Check out WWIII.news for more stories about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and attempts to put an end to it.

Watch U.S. President Donald Trump calling Zelensky “a dictator without elections” during a recent speech in Miami.

This video is from the Cynthia’s Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Trump: Ukraine should hold ELECTIONS to pave way for peace.

Permanent dictator: Zelensky declares NO MORE ELECTIONS in Ukraine until war ends.

Zelensky’s presidential term has EXPIRED, but he still remains as Ukraine’s de facto chief executive.

Sources include:

RT.com 1

RT.com 2

Newsweek.com

Brighteon.com