«To complete the reforms begun in 2019», Kim believes that Zelenskyy has a real chance of winning the post-war elections
- News of Mykolaiv
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- Alisa Melik-Adamian
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11:55, 09 February, 2026
Vitalii Kim and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Mykolaiv, 2024. Photo: Office of the PresidentThe head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Vitalii Kim, said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has the best chance of winning the election after the war ends.
He said this on 4 February in a comment to the American publication Newsweek.
The publication calls Vitalii Kim a long-time ally of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy, in turn, admitted that after the end of the war and the return to peaceful life, the current president has a chance to be re-elected in order to focus on reforms that he did not implement due to Russia's invasion.
«Zelenskyy is the 'best candidate for the position of future president',»Vitalii Kim said.
The statement by the head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration came amid the start of a new round of US-mediated ceasefire talks and after Russia's massive strikes on Ukraine's largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv.
At the same time, Vitalii Kim refused to predict the outcome of the trilateral peace talks, but stressed that Ukraine is exhausted by almost four years of war.
«The country is eagerly awaiting a peace agreement,» he said.
Earlier, Vitalii Kim said in an interview that he believes the beginning of 2026 will be a turning point for ending the war in Ukraine. He shared that he expects many investors to arrive after that.
In an interview with the British publication The Independent, he said that for most Ukrainians, victory in the war with Russia today means, first and foremost, the cessation of hostilities, the preservation of human life and the provision of security guarantees. Explaining his statement, he added that his words were not about giving up territory, but about prioritising human lives.
He also added that the negotiation process to end Russia's war against Ukraine has now entered a real and much more difficult phase.