As Kyiv attempts to mend its relations with the United States after President Zelenskyy’s blowout in Washington, former military chief and Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK Valerii Zaluzhnyi attacked the Trump administration for “destroying” the established world order.
Zaluzhnyi slammed the US President Donald Trump's way of handling the foreign policy and said the White House had "questioned the unity of the whole Western world".
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His remarks came amid efforts to cool things between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump after the Oval Office showdown last week. Even France and the United Kingdom stepped in to help both nations improve their relations.
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At the crucial London summit, UK PM Keir Starmer along with France President Emmanuel Macron agreed to work with Zelenskyy to find a peace deal to end the war. Starmer said that the deal would be presented to the US.
Zaluzhnyi made his remarks at a conference at Chatham House in London on Thursday.
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"We see that it is not just the axis of evil and Russia trying to revise the world order, but the US is finally destroying this order," he said.
White House's 'inclination' towards the Kremlin was also criticised by the former military chief. He also said that NATO could cease to exist as a result of Washington's change in position, and warned that Moscow's next target "could be Europe".
Zaluzhnyi took over as Kyiv's ambassador to London in 2024 following three years as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Amid tensions and war, of late speculations have been rife over who would be Zelenskyy's possible successor in Ukraine. Even Trump had questioned Zelenskyy’s role as president as the war is raging on amid the absence of elections.
Opinion polls give an edge to Zalunzhnyi. Independent opinion polls in Ukraine suggest that Zalunzhnyi has the most public support with at least 70 per cent.