Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s former commander-in-chief who now serves as the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, has said the US is “destroying” the “world order” in comments critical of the Trump administration’s approach toward the war.
Speaking at a conference hosted by the Chatham House think tank, Zaluzhny said the actions of the US under President Trump have called into question “the unity of the whole Western world.”
“We see that it is not just the axis of evil and Russia trying to revise the world order, but the US is finally destroying this order,” the former military commander said.
Zaluzhny added that the Trump administration’s diplomacy with Russia was a sign that the US was taking “steps towards the Kremlin, trying to meet them halfway.”
Zaluzhny’s comments came after the US paused military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine, which he said was “a huge challenge for the entire world.”
In recent days, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been taking a conciliatory tone toward the Trump administration to unfreeze US support, and according to POLITICO, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is distancing itself from Zaluzhny’s remarks, saying it was just his personal opinion.
Zaluzhny clashed with Zelensky during his time in charge of the war effort and has long been rumored to be a potential candidate if Ukraine holds presidential elections.
A poll conducted in 2024 found that Zelensky would lose to Zaluzhny if an election were held at that time. According to the survey, 41% favored Zaluzhny in a first-round election, while only 23.7% would vote for Zelensky.
Zelensky has come under criticism from President Trump for the lack of elections in Ukraine, as the Ukrainian leader has remained in power beyond his term, which expired in May 2024. US officials have said that the Trump administration wants elections in Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal.
Ukrainian officials have justified not holding an election by pointing to Ukraine’s constitution, which prohibits elections during martial law. Martial law was first declared when Russia invaded and has been extended since.
However, Zelensky made it clear at one point that he could hold a vote if he wanted to, suggesting that it could happen if the US and other Western countries paid for it. But the Biden administration did not put any pressure on Zelensky to hold an election and helped justify the decision.
