People around Zelensky want to replace Zaluzhny with Syrsky - The Economist
Some people in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s entourage would like to replace the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny with the Armed Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrsky, and this is causing concern among senior Western military officials.
The Economist writes about this in articles with comments by Zaluzhny and Syrsky, reports Censor.NЕТ with reference to Ukrainian truth.
"Some in the President's entourage would like to replace him (Zaluzhnyi - ed.) with General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the Ukrainian Army, over whom General Zaluzhnyi was promoted last year," the newspaper writes.
According to the newspaper, Zaluzhny's popularity caused uncertainty in the President's Office, which actually conducted a survey of Ukrainians to find out whether they would vote for the general's political party, although he has no party.
"Officials close to Zelensky emphasize that General Zaluzhny has not visited the front line. This, the general's defenders say, is because the same officials forbade him to do so," The Economist adds.
A senior foreign military official told the newspaper that, at best, this petty rivalry is a distraction. At worst, it could undermine Ukraine's unity and weaken Western confidence in its leaders.
Direct speech of a foreign military senior official: "This is not the time for politicking or undermining trust between political and military commanders."
The Economist notes that Syrsky was previously effectively senior in the chain of command to Zaluzhny, who was appointed commander-in-chief of all armed forces in July 2021. And some politicians may be using this fact in an apparent attempt to inflame tensions between them.
"There are even rumors that the Presidential Office may be inclined to replace the popular but independent-minded General Zaluzhny with his former boss. The cracks in the split are causing concern among senior Western military officials. Both generals, for their part, say they fully trust each other and want to stay out of politics," the newspaper writes.
