Former top general Valery Zaluzhny would be supported by 27% if an election were held now, according to the survey

Only 16% of voters would back Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky if a presidential election were held now, a survey has revealed.

According to the Zerkalo Nedeli news website, the poll conducted by the Sociological Association of Ukraine, published on Tuesday, was the first to gauge Ukrainians’ electoral preferences since the escalation of hostilities between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022.

The study found that Ukraine’s former top general, Valery Zaluzhny, is far more popular than Zelensky, with 27% of those surveyed saying they would vote for him. Zaluzhny, who was dismissed as head of the armed forces in February, now serves as Kiev’s ambassador to London.

Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, who lost to Zelensky in the 2019 election, would receive 7% if the vote were held now, followed by military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov, on 6%, the poll said.

A further 15% of respondents said they do not know whom they would vote for, while 10% replied that they would not cast their ballots at all.

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The study, commissioned by the American Political Services international consulting firm, was carried out between November 15 and 21 via telephone interviews, and involved 1,200 people.

Zelensky remains in power in Ukraine despite his term in office having officially expired in May. He earlier scrapped the presidential election, citing the martial law he imposed during the conflict with Russia. Earlier this month, the measure was prolonged once again, until February 7, 2025.

A few weeks ago, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said Washington was considering holding a presidential and parliamentary election in Ukraine next year as a “legitimate” means of replacing Zelensky and his government. The US State Department believes the Ukrainian leader to be “overly entitled” and wants him out, it said.

According to the spy agency’s information, the Americans have decided to begin preliminary work aimed at creating conditions for launching an election campaign in Ukraine.

READ MORE: US could use elections to oust Zelensky – Russian intel

The first stage of the plan will see US-funded NGOs using the structures of Ukrainian civil society under their control to promote the idea of holding an election. After it gets “broad public support,” the candidates would be selected in coordination with the State Department, the SVR said.