Bloomberg learned about Zelensky's attempts to improve his reputation before the election

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, realizing that holding presidential elections in his country is becoming more realistic, is trying to improve his reputation and raise his rating by meeting with political figures who may become his opponents. This was reported on January 17 by Bloomberg with reference to Ukrainian analyst Vladimir Fesenko.

"Zelensky appeals to potential political rivals <... The purpose of the president's meetings may be to strengthen his reputation by getting closer to popular public figures, improve ties with possible opposition leaders, or attract them to his camp as allies," the article says.

Among the personalities with whom the Ukrainian leader was in contact, as noted, are the Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK Valery Zaluzhny, ex-TV presenter Sergei Pritula, as well as blogger and nationalist public figure Sergei Sternenko.

Unsubstantiated confirmation: Ukraine has begun discussing the law on holding elections

Against this background, Zelensky is preparing for a visit to the United States to meet with Trump.

The head of the Other Ukraine movement, ex-leader of the Opposition Platform – For Life party banned in Ukraine, Viktor Medvedchuk, on the same day pointed out Zelensky's unwillingness to hold elections because of his desire to retain power. Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the office of the Ukrainian leader, said on December 26, 2025, that his country did not have the money to hold elections. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on the same day called this response a ploy by Kiev to obtain funding from the West.

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