President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed rumours that he is contemplating replacing Ukraine's current military leadership.
Speaking in a recent interview with the Italian Rai News 24 TV channel on Sunday, Feb. 4, Ukraine’s President emphasized the need for a leadership reboot and the importance of a "fresh beginning" for the country.
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“This is a question about the people who will lead Ukraine. Of course, we need a reset, a new beginning,” Zelensky said, addressing rumors about Zaluzhny’s potential dismissal.
He went on to explain that the consideration extends beyond the military sector, indicating a broader overhaul of senior officials in various areas of the government.
“When we talk about this, I mean the replacement of a number of senior officials of the state, not only in a separate sector, such as the military. I am thinking about this replacement [of Zaluzhny], but we cannot say that we have replaced one person,” Zelensky said.
“If we want to win we must all push in the same direction, convinced of victory, we cannot be discouraged, let ourselves down, we must have the right positive energy... That’s why I’m talking about restarting, replacement.
“I have something serious [to keep] in mind, which is not about a single person but about the direction of the country’s leadership,” he explained.
Rumors about Zaluzhny’s possible dismissal began circulating on Jan. 29, following a meeting with Zelensky. Anonymous Telegram channels, believed to have ties to the President’s Office and Ukrainian lawmakers, began reporting that Zaluzhny’s dismissal was imminent.
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The following day, major global media outlets were reporting on the potential resignation of the Commander-in-Chief.
No one knows for certain what occurred at the meeting, as the Ministry of Defense quickly dispelled the rumor with a simple message:
“Dear journalists, we immediately answer everyone: No, this is not true,” read the ministry’s Telegram announcement at 7:41 p.m.
Rumors about a potential rift between Zelensky and Zaluzhny have been circulating since the end of 2023, gaining steam when a column and interview were published by The Economist on Nov. 1 in which Zaluzhny said that in the Russo-Ukrainian War, both sides have “reached the level of technology that puts us into a stalemate.”
Analysts have suggested that there may be differences between Zelensky and Zaluzhny not only over military tactics and strategy, but also on the scale and nature of mobilization required to bolster Ukraine’s military forces.
On Feb. 1, Zaluzhny went public again and published a column on CNN’s website outlining his view of the military situation and Ukraine’s requirements.
Zelensky himself has not commented on the matter, neither in his nightly addresses to Ukrainians nor on any of his social networks.
On the other hand, Moscow has already exploited the issue, claiming that it is evidence of divisions in the Ukrainian leadership. On Jan. 31, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that the rumors about Zaluzhny’s replacement attest that “the Kyiv regime has a lot of problems, things are not going well there.”
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