Guardian: Vance called Zaluzhnyi after quarrel with Zelensky, he refused to talk

Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and now Ambassador to the United Kingdom Valeriy Zaluzhny refused to have a telephone conversation with US Vice President J.D. Vance, who wanted to speak with him in March after a public spat in the White House. This was reported by the British newspaper The Guardian with reference to unnamed interlocutors familiar with the matter.

Vance's team has "tried various diplomatic and other channels" to reach Zaluzhny, according to one of three people with knowledge of the effort. This comes three days after a public spat between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. leader Donald Trump.

However, the ambassador, after consulting with the head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, refused to answer the call, the source said.

The episode reflected the political tension that Zaluzhnyi has been experiencing since Zelensky removed him as army commander in February 2024 and sent him to London.

On the one hand, accustomed to working within a strict military hierarchy, Zaluzhnyi remains loyal to the government he serves. On the other hand, many – both in Ukraine and abroad – see him as the natural future president of Ukraine and are pushing him to start a political campaign, journalists noted.

The article states that it was the US Vice President who played a key role in provoking the confrontation between Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office in February by sitting on a nearby couch. After the quarrel, Vance and others around the US president were probably probing for potential alternatives to Zelenskyy.

After the conflict in the Oval Office, Zelenskyy traveled to Britain. For Zaluzhny, supporting Trump's team against his own president was unacceptable.

He met Zelenskyy at the London airport and posted a photo of them shaking hands on his social media.

"The path ahead will not be easy, but together we will overcome all challenges," he wrote. It was a demonstration of unity at one of the worst moments for Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, the media reported .

"Many of his supporters did not understand why he did it. But it was his principled position: Ukraine has been humiliated, and we must be united," said a source close to the commander-in-chief .

• On February 28, Zelenskyy arrived at the White House for talks with Trump. However, during a conversation in the Oval Office between Zelenskyy and Trump, a dispute took place.
• Later it became known that Zelenskyy left the White House.
• World leaders after the dispute between Zelenskyy and Trump expressed support for Ukraine.