(MENAFN) Russian intelligence has alleged that US and UK officials recently met in secret with senior Ukrainian figures to discuss replacing President Vladimir Zelensky with former military chief Valery Zaluzhny.

According to a statement released Tuesday by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), the meeting took place at an undisclosed Alpine resort and included top Zelensky aide Andrey Yermak, military intelligence head Kirill Budanov, and Zaluzhny—currently Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK.

The SVR claims the Western representatives and their Ukrainian counterparts agreed that Zelensky should step down, calling his removal essential to resetting relations with the West and maintaining military support. The agency also reported that Yermak and Budanov supported the idea and were promised they could retain their current roles if Zaluzhny assumes the presidency.

Zaluzhny, who served as Ukraine’s military chief from 2021 to 2024, has remained popular and was widely seen as a strong challenger to Zelensky in any future election.

SVR also suggested that a recent attempt by Zelensky to weaken anti-corruption bodies was engineered by Yermak to damage the president’s credibility at home and abroad, making it easier for Western allies to justify seeking his replacement.

Addressing Ukrainians directly, the SVR questioned whether such foreign-influenced decisions reflect the democratic values the country aspires to, remarking that “a new president of your country has been chosen at an Alpine resort.”

Zelensky’s presidential term ended in May, but he has postponed elections under martial law, a move Russia says renders his presidency illegitimate and shifts true authority to the Ukrainian parliament.

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