Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Sunday that last week's information about the possible replacement of the commander-in-chief of his armed forces, Valery Zaluzhni, was true. Zelensky said in an interview with Italy's RAI television that the country needed the “renewal of the people who will lead Ukraine.”
Asked about the possible dismissal of Zaluzhni, the Ukrainian president answered bluntly for the first time: “When we talk about it, we are talking about a rotation of a number of heads of state, not just in one sector, such as the military.” I'm thinking about this relay [refiriéndose al jefe del ejército]but it cannot be said that only one person will be exonerated.”
The newspaper “Pravda” assures this Monday that in addition to the replacements in the government, the Chief of the General Staff, Serhii Shaptala, will also be replaced. According to this newspaper, the changes could become official this week.
Zaluzhni, usually not very active on social networks, has published two messages in recent days in which he wanted to underline his friendship with Shaptala. According to several political and journalistic sources, on January 29, there was a meeting between Zaluzhni and the president during which the latter called on him to resign. The general did not accept the proposal and released a photo with Shatpala at night, which was interpreted as a sign that the military establishment remained united in the face of political power. Zaluzhni again published a photo with Shaptala this Monday to congratulate him on the anniversary: “It will still be difficult for us, but we certainly have nothing to be ashamed of.” “I am glad that you are in this life and in this one “We were at my side in the war, a person for whom Ukraine is above all else.”
Zelensky also mentioned to RAI, albeit implicitly, the differences he had maintained with Zaluzhni due to the general's speech about the situation at the front, and was more pessimistic about the possibilities of regaining the territory: “If we want to win, we have to “In the same sense, convinced of victory, we cannot lose hope, we cannot give up, we have the right to positive energy,” he told the Italian network. “That’s why I’m talking about a reboot, a replacement, but something serious that doesn’t just involve one person.”
The Jan. 29 attempt to force Zaluzhni to resign sparked a political storm against Zelensky in Ukraine. The general is a hero to the people, the only figure in the country who can rival the president in terms of popularity. The power and strategic differences between the two have been making headlines for months. Last December, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology published a demographic study in which 72% of respondents rejected a possible Zaluzhni replacement.
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The network media Censor, considered close to the army chief, assured that the decision to fire him was stopped even after the consultations that Zelensky's team held between the governments of his main international allies.
The Washington Post reported on February 2 that the Ukrainian presidency had informed the White House of plans to fire Zaluzhni. Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, said on February 4 that the United States would respect any decision Zelensky made about his army chief.
Firing Zaluzhni along with other key successors would also allow Zelensky to reduce the feeling among public opinion that the decision was a reckoning with the commander-in-chief. The discrepancies between the two have worsened, particularly after the failed Ukrainian counteroffensive last summer and autumn.
However, the differences had existed since the beginning of the Russian invasion. As journalist Simon Shuster recounts in his recent book “The Showman,” Zelensky ruled out preparing his country for war until the last moment in February 2022, when Zaluzhni pushed for it, believing that war was imminent.
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