Ukrainian MP says Commander Valery Zaluzhny has agreed to leave the army in the next few days to go to the UK as ambassador, after a series of disagreements with the President.
"According to the information I have, Mr. Zaluzhny has agreed to take up the post of Ukraine's ambassador to the UK. He will most likely go there," Ukrainian MP Yevgeny Shevchenko revealed in an interview on February 5. "This will be bad news for Zaluzhny's supporters."
According to MP Shevchenko, General Zaluzhny could resign on February 8. However, he believes that instead of accepting the position of ambassador to the UK, General Zaluzhny could choose to stay in Ukraine to start a political career. "He has a great chance of success if he follows this path," Shevchenko said.
Mr Zaluzhny has not commented.
The information was released after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the same day that he was considering replacing a series of senior officials, including General Zaluzhny, in an effort to "reset the apparatus" towards victory in the conflict with Russia. This is the first time Mr. Zelensky has confirmed his intention to fire the commander of the Ukrainian army after many denials.
General Valery Zaluzhny in a photo posted on February 1. Photo: CNN
Mr. Zaluzhny was appointed commander of the Ukrainian army in mid-2021, after many years as commander of the Donbass front. He is known as a strict commander with a strong personality, aiming to retake all the territory from the Donbass separatists and always promoting the independence of the Ukrainian army.
Mr. Zaluzhny's influence and position began to rise since Russia launched its campaign in Ukraine in February 2022. However, the conflict between Mr. Zaluzhny and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky erupted in November 2023 after the commander of the Ukrainian army said that the country's counter-offensive was at a standstill and faced harsh criticism from the president's office.
The disagreement between the two sides then continued to widen due to the dispute over troop mobilization, when General Zaluzhny wanted to add 450,000-500,000 more to the front line, which Mr. Zelensky opposed.
The Economist reported that President Zelensky on January 29 asked Mr. Zaluzhny to leave his post and become the head of the national security council, but the commander of the Ukrainian army refused. Reuters on January 31 quoted an anonymous source as saying that the commander of the Ukrainian army Oleksandr Syrsky was asked to replace Zaluzhny, but General Syrsky did not agree.
Pham Giang (According to RIA Novosti, Pravda )
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