The change of power in the United States promises significant shifts in international politics
The newly elected president, Donald Trump, immediately made a number of provocative statements regarding Greenland, Canada, Panama, and Mexico upon taking office. His comments about Ukraine having to pay for US assistance in the war with Russia using its rare-earth metals are also met with mixed reactions. Furthermore, after the presidential elections in the United States, discussions about upcoming elections in Ukraine have also intensified. According to sociological surveys conducted in late December 2024, the leading figures in public opinion and potential candidates for the presidency of Ukraine are former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, current President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, and Ukrainian MP and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi’s relatively high ranking can be explained by the fact that the Ukrainian Armed Forces bore the brunt of Russia’s full-scale invasion and successfully prevented Russia from achieving its goal of capturing Ukraine. How rational and effective Zaluzhnyi’s actions were as Commander-in-Chief is better known to those who served under his command, and there is little doubt that all his “pros” and “cons” as a military leader will come to light during the election campaign. However, it is already clear that there is a significant drawback for Zaluzhnyi as a politician. It is known that before his resignation as Commander-in-Chief, General Zaluzhnyi became a candidate of legal sciences, defending his dissertation at the Odessa Law Academy, where the highly controversial figure Serhiy Kivalov serves as rector. Despite the extremely negative perception of Kivalov in patriotic circles, Zaluzhnyi continues to appear in public with him, which has been periodically reported by the media. This indicates Zaluzhnyi’s political short-sightedness, but more importantly, it highlights the fundamental difference between military leadership and state governance. This is why a candidate for the presidency of Ukraine must be able to communicate with a broad audience and have appropriate experience in public administration and politics.In second place in the ranking is the current President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. Today, all his “pros” and “cons” are out in the open, so there is no need to analyse them in detail. It can only be said that during his time as President of Ukraine, Zelensky has gained the necessary political experience, and his chances of re-election will depend on his ability to make the right political and personnel decisions.
In third place is Yulia Tymoshenko. No one will deny that, of the three candidates, she has the most experience in public administration and politics. It is well known that Tymoshenko came into politics from the business world and immediately proved herself as an effective manager when she served as Vice Prime Minister during the severe energy crisis in the late 1990s. Her attempt to combat smuggling and the embezzlement of state property during her time as Prime Minister was met with strong resistance from the “shadow” sector, leading to a harsh political confrontation and ultimately to her resignation as Prime Minister and subsequent criminal prosecution. Clearly, like any politician, Tymoshenko’s career has seen both significant successes and mistakes, but if she learns from them, she has a real chance of becoming the next President of Ukraine.
It is also important to note that elections in Ukraine will only be possible after a temporary ceasefire or the conclusion of the war with Russia. This is understood by everyone, both those who are interested in changing the key political players in Ukraine and their opponents. Today, it is clear that the office of the President of Ukraine is of great importance, and as a result, the fight for this position is expected to be fiercely competitive and uncompromising, not only in Ukraine but far beyond its borders. Therefore, the Ukrainian issue will remain at the centre of global politics, and the new year of 2025 promises to be filled with political events, highly unpredictable, and dynamic.
Oleh Bereziuk
Institute for Global Politics.
Institute for Global Politics.
