The Ukrainian president is losing the battle for the \u201chearts and minds\u201d of the populace, the SVR has said <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US has stepped up efforts to find a replacement for Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and has already talked with a number of politicians, including former President Pyotr Poroshenko and Kiev mayor Vitaly Klitschko, Russia\u2019s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky is \u201cclearly losing the battle for the hearts and minds\u201d of Ukrainians, especially since his legitimacy as president will be \u201ccompletely lost\u201d after his term in office expires on May 20, the SVR wrote in a statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine was supposed to hold a presidential election on March 31, but last December Zelensky canceled it along with all other elections, citing martial law and the conflict with Russia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US State Department and EU\u2019s Diplomatic Service are \u201cextremely\u201d concerned by the growing discontent among Ukrainians over the \u201cendless\u201d protraction of the hostilities with Russia, according to the intelligence service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDistrust in government institutions is growing and apathy is spreading rapidly,\u201d the SVR said, adding that the number of desertions and voluntary surrenders in the Ukrainian armed forces is soaring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US is now looking for alternatives to Zelensky, the SVR claimed, noting that Washington \u201cis not even trying to hide the fact that essentially it doesn\u2019t care\u201d who will lead Ukraine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the West, it\u2019s crucial that the new president be capable of continuing the armed conflict, so that the \u201cwar till the last Ukrainian\u201d does not stop, the agency said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the SVR, Washington is in talks with Poroshenko and Klitschko. \u201cSecret work\u201d is also being carried out with the presidential head of office, Andrey Ermak, former top Ukrainian commander General Valery Zaluzhny, and the ex-speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Dmitry Razumkov. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the US and EU would like Zelensky to remain in his post for now as long as he is tied to war financing schemes that yield \u201cenormous profits\u201d to both Kiev and Western arms manufacturers, SVR added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n