"According to my sources, Mr. Zaluzhny has agreed to be ambassador to the UK. He will most likely go there and we all know that those who leave the country to become ambassadors are all political retirees. None of them return to their previous positions. This is a Ukrainian tradition. I do not like to disappoint Mr. Zaluzhny's fans," MP Yevgeny Shevchenko said in a recent interview, according to TASS on February 5.
Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army Valery Zaluzhny at a ceremony in Kyiv in November 2023
The MP believes that if Mr. Zaluzhny chooses to stay in Ukraine and start building a political career, he will definitely have a good future. According to MP Shevchenko's prediction, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian army may resign on February 8.
News of Zaluzhny’s dismissal emerged in late January, when President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that Zaluzhny should voluntarily resign. Zaluzhny is said to have clashed with President Zelensky over how to conduct the war. According to Reuters, the military wanted to mobilize half a million more troops in 2024, but President Zelensky opposed it. Zaluzhny’s potential departure is also said to stem from the failure of last year’s counteroffensive.
Ukrainian President: Not only replacing the Commander-in-Chief, but 'reshaping' the entire system
In an interview published on February 4, Mr. Zelensky said he was considering replacing Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny as part of a plan to reform the military apparatus. Soldiers fighting in the east expressed concern about this plan, but some also said that the effectiveness would depend on who would take over.
"I think a dismissal would be inappropriate at this time, because on the battlefield you don't change commanders," the commander of an anti-tank unit codenamed Tiger at the Avdiivka front in Donetsk told Reuters.
Whoever takes over must ensure new troops are brought in and more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are provided, Mr Tiger said, something Mr Zaluzhny has called for.
“Before you remove someone, especially in an important position, you need to make sure who replaces them and their vision for the future of the situation. If the government wants to change someone, these changes should make things better, not worse,” said Ihor, a company commander.
Mr Mykola, who commands a Grad rocket launcher unit, said Mr Zaluzhny was caught in a political conflict. "People say we had some success in 2022. But in 2023 it was not the same. That does not mean Mr Zaluzhny is not running the army well," Mr Mykola said.
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