Zelenskyy Engages Potential Rivals Amidst Intensifying Election Talk in Ukraine

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting with prominent public figures, including former army chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Serhiy Prytula, and Serhiy Sternenko, who are seen as potential political challengers.
• These meetings occur as discussions about future elections gain momentum, especially after a significant corruption scandal impacted Zelenskyy's administration.
• Political analysts, like Volodymyr Fesenko, suggest Zelenskyy is preparing for a post-war political landscape, potentially aiming to strengthen his standing, repair relations, or form alliances.
• Ukraine is working with the US on a peace plan that includes holding presidential elections once a ceasefire is reached, a position supported by Donald Trump.
• Despite martial law preventing elections, Zelenskyy has asked lawmakers to draft legislation for post-ceasefire elections, as his popularity has been affected by a corruption scandal, though he still leads in polls.

Why It Matters: Zelenskyy is proactively engaging potential political rivals as Ukraine considers post-war elections.