In the wake of a damaging corruption scandal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is increasingly reaching out to potential political rivals as the prospect of an election becomes more likely.

On Thursday, Zelenskyy spoke with the man widely regarded as his biggest contender, former commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who¡¯s now Ukraine¡¯s ambassador to the U.K. Relations between the two soured in 2024 after the failure of Ukraine¡¯s counteroffensive the previous year culminated in the general¡¯s ouster.

Earlier this week, the president also disclosed that he¡¯d met other high-profile figures who are seen as having the potential to enter politics. Those included Serhiy Prytula, a former TV presenter whose charity donates to the armed forces, and popular nationalist activist Serhiy Sternenko.