Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has claimed that senior officials from the United States, United Kingdom, and Ukraine convened in secret to discuss replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky with Valery Zaluzhny, the former commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces.
According to the SVR’s statement released on Tuesday, the covert meeting reportedly took place at an undisclosed Alpine resort and included Zelensky’s chief of staff Andrey Yermak, military intelligence head Kirill Budanov, and Zaluzhny, who now serves as Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK.
The SVR alleges that the attendees agreed Zelensky’s leadership had run its course and that a change in Ukraine’s leadership is seen as “a necessary step” to maintain Western military support and improve relations with NATO allies.
The intelligence agency claims that Washington and London favor Zaluzhny as a replacement, citing his strong approval ratings and broad military credentials. Yermak and Budanov reportedly endorsed the plan, allegedly securing informal assurances they would retain their influential positions under Zaluzhny’s leadership.
Zaluzhny was removed from his post earlier in 2024 after reported policy differences with Zelensky, but remains a popular figure among both the Ukrainian public and Western policymakers.
The SVR also asserted that Zelensky’s recent backing of a controversial anti-corruption reform bill — which would have weakened the independence of key watchdog bodies — was a deliberate move orchestrated by Yermak to damage Zelensky’s international standing.
Following backlash from civil society and Western governments, Zelensky reversed course. The SVR claims the incident was used to bolster arguments among Western allies for installing new leadership in Kiev.
Zelensky has remained in office despite the expiration of his presidential term in May 2024, citing martial law as justification for postponing elections. Moscow has declared Zelensky’s rule “illegitimate” and argued that effective power now lies with Ukraine’s parliament and military elite.
The SVR ended its statement with a pointed remark to the Ukrainian public:
“A new president for your country has been chosen at an Alpine resort. Is this the democracy you hoped for?”