Survey on possible Ukrainian presidential election shows Zelensky, Zaluzhny and Fedorov in the lead

A recent public opinion survey on a potential presidential election in Ukraine shows incumbent President Volodymyr Zelensky leading with 21% support. The exact wording of the survey question has not been made public.

Former commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Valerii Zaluzhny, comes second with 18%, while former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov ranks third with 16%. According to The Economist, the survey was conducted before Fedorov's recent video address calling for elections to be held. Head of the presidential office Kyrylo Budanov placed fourth with 8%.

Zaluzhny seen as a rival

Zaluzhny has long been considered one of Zelensky's most serious potential challengers, and according to Ukrainska Pravda, he has announced his intention to run. The outlet cited an unpublished June survey in which, among respondents who had already made up their minds, about 33% said they would vote for Zelensky in a first round, roughly 22% for Zaluzhny, and nearly 14% for Budanov. Fedorov, who was still defense minister at the time, was not included in that survey.

Dismissal and protests

In July, Zelensky dismissed Fedorov from his post as defense minister, reportedly due to a conflict with Armed Forces commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Protests subsequently broke out in several Ukrainian cities demanding Fedorov's reinstatement.

On August 18, Fedorov released a video address calling for a "legal, safe and realistic mechanism" to allow Ukraine to resume a full democratic process even during the ongoing war. Zelensky's office responded that planning elections amid drone and missile attacks was "extremely strange" and said Fedorov's call showed a "complete lack of realism".