U.S. Vice President Pence called Zaluzhny after the quarrel between Trump and Zelensky
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom Valerii Zaluzhnyi, refused to have contact with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who called him after the public dispute between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump at the White House on February 28. This is reported by The Guardian citing unnamed sources.
The article states that it was the U.S. Vice President who played a key role in provoking the conflict between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office in February. It is noted that Vance called Zaluzhnyi in early March, three days after the quarrel at the White House, "considering an alternative to problematic Zelensky."
"Vance's team 'tried various diplomatic and other channels' to contact Zaluzhnyi, one of the three sources said. Zaluzhnyi, after consulting with the head of the Presidential Office, refused to answer the call," said the source.
According to The Guardian, "political pilgrims" constantly visit the Ukrainian embassy in London to offer services, express support, or try to guess whether Zaluzhnyi plans to run in the elections.
The publication also notes that, besides Ukrainian deputies, public activists, and business representatives, former Donald Trump adviser Paul Manafort visited Zaluzhnyi to offer his services as a political consultant for any future election campaign. The Guardian reports that Zaluzhnyi declined the offer.
One of the sources close to Zaluzhnyi said that it was a "demonstrative act of unity" because he understood that supporting Donald Trump's team against his own president was not the best option.
"Many of his supporters did not understand why he did it. But it was his principled stance: Ukraine has been humiliated, and we must be united," said the source.
As noted by The Guardian, no elections are planned in Ukraine, as voting is impossible during wartime: "But everyone in Ukraine knows that sooner or later, politics will return."
Additionally, the British publication reported that Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, visited London to see the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, now Ukraine's ambassador to Britain, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and offered him to join President Volodymyr Zelensky's team for the upcoming elections, but he refused.
At the same time, according to sources, Zaluzhnyi promised Yermak that he would not criticize Zelensky publicly while the war continues, and also assured that he would not cause any unpleasant surprises for the Presidential Office. "If I decide to go into politics, you will hear it from me first, privately," Zaluzhnyi's words, as quoted by Yermak, are reported to have been.
