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According to the publication, the disagreements were caused by several reasons. For example, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian forces is actively advocating a new wave of mobilization and is ahead of the president in terms of public trust, which only complicates their relationship.
V. Zalužnas also blames the government for not allowing the normal assembly of the army. Their confrontation explains the “indecision” in choosing a military strategy, which is very unpopular with the West.
V. Zelensky tried to remove General D. Zaluzhna from office, but he failed. All this is the result of the conflict between them, which is only intensifying, Bloomberg reports.
The president could simply fire the commander-in-chief, but that would undoubtedly damage the morale of both soldiers and civilians,” the publication noted. It is emphasized that V. Zalužnas has authority both among soldiers and civilians, he communicates with subordinates as equals and is engaged in work, rather than creating his “public profile”.
“If V. Zalužnas is fired, riots may break out,” one of the interviewed soldiers told the publication.
According to the publication, the biggest influence on the deterioration of relations between V. Zelenskiy and V. Zaluzhno was the failed counterattack, as this failure became a reason for discussions not only within the country, but also in the West.
The partners who “supplied D. Zaluzhno’s army with billions worth of military equipment” were very dissatisfied with the results of the operation. In general, the US wanted all actions to be concentrated in “one area” and the Ukrainian leadership to divide its forces between the eastern and southern fronts.
Tensions between Zelenskiy and Zaluzhno became particularly apparent in November, when the general gave an interview to The Economist magazine in which he said “the fighting has reached a stalemate.” V. Zelensky, of course, strongly condemned the commander-in-chief’s remarks and stated that the country “may still reach a turning point.”
In general, V. Zelenskis feels a clear threat from V. Zaluzhnis. He views criticism of military actions as a “threat to his leadership.” In addition, one should not forget that public trust in the president is decreasing: in December according to the survey, 62 percent trust V. Zelenskiu, while V. Zalužno’s rating remains high – 88 percent.
Moreover, the general’s calls for a new wave of mobilization only add fuel to the fire. CNN published an article in which Zalužn said the government was holding back the defense industry because of “red tape and delays in recruiting new soldiers.”
So now V. Zelenskiy is facing a real dilemma. He has to make the right decision – the whole country is watching him.
Some time ago it was announced that V. Zelensky tried to remove D. Zaluzhna from his post, but the head of intelligence Kirill Budanov and the commander of the ground forces Oleksandr Syrsky opposed him.
Gustav Gressel, a military analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations, believes that V. Zelenskiy wanted O. Syrskis to become the new commander-in-chief because “he is more loyal to the president.”
At the same time, the world media drew attention to the fact that the most serious disagreement regarding the split between President V. Zelensky and A. Zaluzhno was the general’s request to mobilize more troops.
