Egypt Daily News – In a striking and controversial report, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) alleges that senior U.S. and British officials recently met in a secret gathering with high-level Ukrainian figures in the Alps to discuss a post-Zelensky political future for Ukraine. According to a source within Russian intelligence, the alleged meeting was held in a secluded mountain resort and included key players from Ukraine’s military and political elite.
Those said to be present included Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; Kyrylo Budanov, chief of military intelligence; and Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and currently Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.
The SVR claims that during the meeting, U.S. and British representatives proposed Zaluzhnyi as a preferred candidate to replace President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the Russian narrative, both Yermak and Budanov reportedly supported the idea, and in return, were promised continued influence and retention of their current positions should a transition occur.
The report paints the alleged talks as a sign of mounting Western dissatisfaction with Zelensky’s leadership, particularly amid concerns over Kyiv’s recent moves to reduce the powers of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies actions critics have viewed as authoritarian and potentially damaging to Ukraine’s relationship with its Western allies.
Russian intelligence further claims that Yermak deliberately misled Zelensky, encouraging him to believe that weakening anti-corruption oversight would not affect ties with Western backers. However, this alleged maneuver is now being framed as a calculated step to provoke international concern and justify efforts to orchestrate Zelensky’s political ouster.
In Moscow’s telling, the meeting represents a broader plan by the West to “reset” Ukraine’s internal leadership in hopes of sustaining long-term support for the war effort against Russia. “This meeting and its outcomes give us reason to speak directly to the Ukrainian people,” the Russian source stated. “Your next president has already been selected at a resort in the Alps. Is this the democratic independence you dreamed of?”
It’s important to note that no Western government or Ukrainian official has publicly confirmed or acknowledged such a meeting or plan. The story, which has circulated through Russian state-linked media, aligns with the Kremlin’s ongoing efforts to portray the Ukrainian government as a puppet regime controlled by foreign interests an accusation long rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, once Ukraine’s top general, was widely respected both at home and abroad for his role in organizing resistance against Russia’s invasion. His reassignment earlier this year as ambassador to the UK sparked speculation about internal rifts within Ukraine’s leadership, though no formal break with President Zelensky was ever acknowledged.
Whether the Russian account is based on verified intelligence or disinformation remains unclear. Analysts caution that the Kremlin often disseminates such narratives to sow discord within Ukraine and between Kyiv and its Western supporters. Nevertheless, the report adds a new layer of intrigue to the ongoing war not just on the battlefield, but within the political corridors of power.
As Ukraine continues to navigate the immense challenges of war, international support, and domestic governance, questions about political stability and leadership succession will remain central to its future. But for now, the official government in Kyiv has not indicated any shift in power, nor acknowledged the purported Alpine gathering or its alleged agenda.
