Ukrainian President Zelensky is said to have tried to fire army chief Saluzhny. But he refused. Selenskyj has now reversed his decision, probably due to pressure from the USA and Great Britain.
According to consistent media reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is said to have tried to fire army chief Valeriy Zalushnyj. However, Zelensky had to reverse this decision – under pressure from the USA and Great Britain as well as high-ranking military officials. This is what the Times reports. The Guardian and the New York Times reported that the president asked Saluzhny to resign on Monday, but he refused.
Because of the failed counteroffensive against Russia, the relationship between Zelensky and Saluzhny is considered tense.
Saluzhnyj commented on the military situation
The 50-year-old Saluzhny became the army’s army chief a few months before the Russian invasion in February 2022. Under his command, Ukrainian troops withstood the invasion and even recaptured occupied territories. The general is considered popular among his soldiers and the population. That’s why he was said to have political ambitions, which he denied.
According to senior officers, Zalushnyy was summoned to a personal meeting with Zelenskyy on Monday, the Times reported. There he told the presidential advisers that their assessments of the military situation were more positive than realistic. He was then asked to resign. When he refused, Zelensky said he would sign a decree for his dismissal.
Potential successors declined
Potential successors then refused to take over the office of army chief, it was said. Zelensky was therefore forced to back down and stick with Saluzhny, at least initially.
On Monday, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry had already contradicted reports about the dismissal of army chief Saluzhny. “Dear journalists, we answer everyone at the same time: That’s not true,” the ministry said on Telegram.