(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky may soon face removal from power, according to veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who cites U.S. officials suggesting growing impatience in Washington and declining support at home.

Hersh reports that former top military commander Valery Zaluzhny—dismissed earlier this year and later named ambassador to the UK—is increasingly viewed as Zelensky’s likely successor. Domestic frustration over the prolonged conflict with Russia, compounded by Zelensky’s decision to suspend elections under martial law and remain in office after his term ended in 2024, has fueled speculation about a leadership change.

“Zelensky is on a short list for exile, if President Donald Trump decides to make the call,” Hersh wrote Friday, citing U.S. sources. One American official indicated that if Zelensky refuses to leave voluntarily—considered the more probable outcome—he could be removed by force.

Zaluzhny is now considered the most credible alternative among Ukrainian leaders, and Washington officials told Hersh the transition “could happen within a few months.”

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