US actively searching for someone to replace Zelensky — ex-premier Azarov

MOSCOW, November 16. /TASS/. The United States is looking for a replacement for Vladimir Zelensky, inviting various members of the Kiev regime to Washington, former Ukrainian prime minister (in 2010-2014) Nikolay Azarov has told TASS.

"I know that over about six months, the Americans have been actively talking to, meeting and inviting to Washington certain politicians of the Kiev regime. They are shaping an opinion about them, looking for a person who could replace [Zelensky]," he said.

In his opinion, the current corruption scandal involving members of Zelensky’s inner circle is an evidence of that.

"If they [the Americans] were against this, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine would never have an opportunity to act in such a manner," the ex-premier said.

According to Azarov, it is hard to predict how the events will unfold if Zelensky resigns. In his opinion, no one on Ukraine’s political arena can currently ensure the country’s normal development.

"I have said it many times: currently, there is no force on the territory controlled by the Kiev regime that could pursue any policy that will be positive for Ukraine to some extent. There simply are no such people, because those who could were either jailed, or killed, or forced to leave the country," Azarov said.

Martial law and mobilization were first declared in Ukraine in February 2022 and have now been extended for the 17th time. As a result, no parliamentary, presidential, or local elections are being held in the country. This is being exploited by Zelensky, whose presidential powers expired on May 20, 2024.

Mindich affair

On November 10, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced a large-scale operation dubbed Midas to uncover a major corruption scheme in the energy sector. Searches were conducted at the home of Timur Mindich, who is often referred to as Zelensky’s "wallet," as well as at the residence of Justice Minister German Galuschenko, who had previously served as Minister of Energy, and at the Energoatom company. The investigation found that participants in the scheme had laundered around $100 million.

Charges in the case have been brought against Igor Mironyuk, a former adviser to the energy minister, Dmitry Basov, Energoatom executive director for safety, businessmen Alexander Zukerman and Igor Fursenko, Lesya Ustimenko and Lyudmila Zorina, as well as former Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Chernyshov, who is also seen as a member of Zelensky’s inner circle. Mindich left the country a few hours before searches started, and is now in Israel.