The United States and allied countries are reportedly discussing the line of succession to the leadership of the Ukrainian government in the event of the capture or assassination of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to the Constitution of Ukraine, the speaker of parliament replaces the president if something happens to him in office, according to the New York Times. Ruslan Stefanchuk is currently serving as a speaker, has been photographed with Zelensky and attended important virtual meetings with European leaders since Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
However, the presidential succession after Stefanchuk is unclear according to the constitution. The country’s parliament may have to take additional steps to approve succession measures that extend beyond senior leaders, The Hill reported last month.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have said they are focused on winning battles with Russia rather than working on the line of succession.
US, British and European Union officials have said they will not recognize a Russian-created puppet government if Kyiv falls, and having a solid succession plan that installs a legitimate leader would make it easier for the allies to undermine the Russian-controlled government in the country, the New York Times reported.
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In an attempt to protect Ukraine’s independence, U.S. officials reportedly urged Ukrainians not to allow high-ranking officials to stay in the same place for long periods of time and move outside the country’s capital, the New York Times reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. for conversations.
The US and allied nations would also like to see Ukrainian officials establish a place for leadership outside of Kyiv, many officials said. The presidential residence in the Carpathians was considered as an option, but Ukrainian officials did not say if there were air raid shelters and other security measures there.
Current situation in Ukraine.NY Post Illustrations
Zelenskiy, meanwhile, remains in Kyiv despite reports that he has been offered foreign aid to evacuate the city and even fled.
“Every two days there is information that I have escaped somewhere – I have escaped from Ukraine, from Kyiv, from my office. As you can see, I am here in my place, here is Andrei Borisovich (Yermak). Nobody ran away. This is where we work,” Zelensky said on Saturday.
According to the head of the security and defense service of Ukraine on Tuesday, the Ukrainian president has already managed to avoid one attempt on his life. A group of Chechen special forces was sent to “eliminate our president” but were “destroyed directly,” according to a Telegram message published by the Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communications.