Tensions are soaring between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhny, leading to rumours of the latter’s imminent dismissal or resignation.
The two are said to have been at odds since the beginning of Ukraine’s counteroffensive when Kyiv failed to make a breakthrough against stalwart Russian defences.
Ukrainian and Western media have reported on rumours of Zaluzhny’s potential resignation or dismissal, although no decision appears to have been made yet.
Ukrainska Pravda reported that relations between the two men have soured to the point that Zelensky is now bypassing his Commander-in-Chief, speaking directly to other military commanders and hindering Zaluzhny’s ability to effectively command the Armed Forces.
Speaking to the outlet, a source close to Zaluzhny said: “There is an impression that Zelensky has divided the Armed Forces into two groups: the ‘good’ one commanded by Syrskyi and other favourites, and the ‘bad’ one subordinate to Zaluzhny.
“This greatly demotivates the commander-in-chief and, most importantly, prevents him from commanding the entire military.”
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Zelensky sometimes makes military decisions for political reasons, further complicating the relationship between the two leaders, sources speaking to the Ukrainian outlet claimed.
One such decision was when Zelensky blanket-fired all regional enlistment officers to root out corruption, according to the sources, who said the politically expedient decision had complicated military implications.
Ukraine is facing a manpower shortage as it faces Russia’s huge military – Vladimir Putin has many more men than Zelensky and the Russian President has shown a horrific willingness to sacrifice them.
Zaluzhny has offered a more sombre picture on the ground in Ukraine than Zelensky. Writing for The Economist last month, he argued the war had become a stalemate and that “there will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough”.
The comments are likely to have enraged Zelensky who is fighting for more equipment for an increasingly sceptical West and attempting to keep morale up in a country that has faced nearly two years of horror inflicted by Putin’s unprovoked war.
However, Zaluzhny is immensely popular among Ukrainians – rivalling even Zelensky himself – and it’s possible his dismissal or resignation could come back to haunt the wartime president.
Volodymyr Fesenko, a Kyiv-based political analyst, even suggested that some on the presidential team might see Zaluzhny as a political rival.
Speaking to NBC News, he said: “Zaluzhny is the second most popular person in Ukraine, and the presidential team sees him as a potential competitor.”
He continued: “It seems, they want to blame Zaluzhny for the problems at the front. However, given Zaluzhny’s popularity both in the army and in society, his dismissal or resignation could have very ambiguous consequences, including weakening the position of Zelensky himself.”
The Daily Express could verify the claims made in Ukrainian media and Zelensky himself has brushed off any internal strife as playing into Russia’s hands. Still, it appears that the President and his top military man are at least at odds on the state of the war.
