Ukraine war: Zelensky indicates ‘reset’ of military chief, in boost to Russia as invasion nears 2-year anniversary
- Zelensky confirmed for the first time on Italian TV that he was mulling the dismissal of the country’s top military officer, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi
- The rift first began last fall when the general acknowledged in an interview, fighting with Russia had stalemated. The president denied that was the case
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was weighing a possible dismissal of the country’s top military officer, a prospect that has shocked the nation fighting Russia’s invasion and worried Kyiv’s Western allies.
Asked whether he was considering the ouster of General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zelensky told Italian RAI TV in an interview released late Sunday that he was thinking about it as part of a broader issue of setting the country’s path.
He said that “a reset, a new beginning is necessary,” and it’s “not about a single person but about the direction of the country’s leadership.”
When we talk about this, I mean a replacement of a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military.
“I’m thinking about this replacement, but you can’t say here we replaced a single person,” Zelensky said.
“When we talk about this, I mean a replacement of a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military. If we want to win we must all push in the same direction, convinced of victory, we cannot be discouraged, let our arms fall, we must have the right positive energy.”
Zelensky’s comments marked his first confirmation that he was mulling to fire the widely popular general, a possibility that caused an uproar in Ukraine and delighted the Kremlin as the war approaches its second anniversary.
According to Ukrainian and Western media reports, Zelensky last week offered Zaluzhnyi to resign, but the general refused. Zaluzhnyi hasn’t commented on the issue.