US has started planning Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Line of Succession in case the WORST happens
The United States and other nations supporting Ukraine are reportedly concerned about the well-being of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he survived three assassination attempts ordered by Putin. In fact, US and other allies are discussing who will succeed Zelenskyy in leading the Ukrainian government, in case the President is captured or killed.
The Ukrainian President survived three assassination attempts since the invasion began, thanks to tip-offs the Ukrainians received. Putin had sent as many as 400 mercenaries from the deadly Wagner Group into Ukraine to kill Zelenskyy. The group was tasked with assassinating Zelenskyy, as well as other key officials, who stayed back to fight against the Russians. It appears the US also knew about the attempts and asked if Zelenskyy wanted to be evacuated from Kyiv, leading to his now-iconic quote, "I need ammunition, not a ride."
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The Ukrainian President has proved to be a major thorn in Putin's way, defiantly organizing Ukraine's resistance, all while rallying support for the nation through his speeches and calls to world leaders. He has also frequently taken to social media to speak not just to Ukrainians, but also Russians and urged them to stop the war.
United States, English, and European Union officials have decided to defy the puppet government set up by Russia, in the case of Ukraine's defeat or surrender. Therefore, the nations are presently discussing a foolproof succession plan for Zelenskyy, so they can continue to defy Russian control in the country.
Moreover, US is also advising Ukrainian officials to disperse and move to locations outside the capital city of Kyiv. They are also suggesting Ukraine set up a location for leadership outside of Kyiv, for example, a presidential retreat in the Carpathian Mountains, in order to resist Russian forces as long as possible.
In the worst-case scenario of Volodymyr Zelenskyy's death or capture, Ukraine Parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk would be named as the President of Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian Constitution, the speaker is mandated to succeed the president if something happens to them in office. Stefanchuk had accompanied Zelenskyy to key meetings with European leaders ever since the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. However, the Constitution does not clearly delineate who would be in the line of succession for the President, further than the speaker.
When inquired about approval and validation on the line of succession, Ukrainian officials stated that they are more focused on winning against Russia instead of choosing the next President.
All the while, Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to remain in Kyiv and support his countrymen on the battle frontlines. Refuting claims of a secret escape, the brave President announced on Saturday, "Every two days information comes out that I have fled somewhere — fled from Ukraine, from Kyiv, from my office. As you can see, I am here in my place, Andriy Borisovich (Yermak) is here. Nobody has fled anywhere. Here, we are working."