Zelenskyy offered Zaluzhnyi post of secretary of NSDC. He refused - Economist
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed General Valerii Zaluzhnyi about his upcoming resignation from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and offered him the post of Secretary of the NSDC. He rejected this offer.
The Economist writes about it, Censor.NET reports.
It notes that this is not the first time that plans for Zaluzhnyi's resignation have been discussed. But now these conversations sound "the most convincing".
When and how did it become known about the possible resignation of Zaluzhnyi
Monday, January 29, began with the leak of information from people's deputies about the "package of documents" regarding Zaluzhny's resignation. This information was confirmed by the General Staff. And in the evening, as noted by The Economist, there was a meeting where the president informed the general about the plans to send him to resign.
"Mr. Zaluzhnyi was offered another role: secretary of the National Security Council. He refused," the publication says.
The President's Office and the Ministry of Defense denied the resignation. But this did not solve the problem of "dysfunctional relations between the president and the general and suspicions on the part of the President's Office about the general's political ambitions," writes The Economist.
Candidates for the position of Zaluzhnyi
This mass media, following others, names two possible candidates for the post of Zaluzhnyi: the head of the DIU Kyrylo Budanov, and the commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi.
According to the publication, Budanov resigned from his post. At the same time, The Economist quotes Budanov's colleague, who said that he does not have the opportunity to refuse: "It is not you who make such decisions," said the representative.
How will the possible resignation of Zaluzhnyi affect the course of the war?
The Economist notes that rumors of Zaluzhnyi's resignation come at a critical time: Ukraine's summer counteroffensive has failed, and the country is in uncertainty about what exactly will be the future military support from its Western partners. Ukrainian soldiers at the front complain about the lack of ammunition, while the Russians spend at least five times more shells than the Ukrainians.
"The battle over the future of General Zaluzhnyi is unlikely to increase the likelihood of renewed military support because the general is highly valued in the West," writes The Economist.
Zaluzhnyi is a cult figure
The publication reminds that the defense of Kyiv and the northeast of Ukraine at the beginning of the war made Zaluzhny a "cult figure". Polls show that he is more popular than the president, and this, according to the publication, has created tension between him and Zelensky.
The Economist writes that a change of military commander during a war is not so rare. During the Korean War, US President Harry Truman fired Douglas MacArthur. Barack Obama dismissed Stanley McChrystal from the position of commander in chief in Afghanistan, and also dismissed David McKiernan, who had been in office for only 11 months, in that country.
"Generals are often heroic and flamboyant figures who overshadow their political masters either with success on the battlefield or with self-promotion... This breeds envy and resentment," the publication says.
The publication sees similar motives in Zelenskyy's decision to release Zaluzhnyi. However, he notes that the president and the general also have differences on military issues. Zaluzhnyy publicly pressured Zelenskyi to carry out large-scale mobilization. The president resisted, realizing that this decision would be unpopular. There were also bitter disputes between the OP and the General Staff regarding military strategy - in particular, regarding the defense of Bakhmut.
Conclusions
"If appointed, General Zaluzhnyi's replacement will undoubtedly serve effectively. But removing a man as popular among his soldiers and the public as the general carries political and military risks," writes The Economist.
According to the publication, if Zelenskyy leaves Zaluzhny in office, he will appear weak. If he is released, it will undermine confidence in the country's leadership. "As is often the case in this conflict, there are no easy victories," sums up the media.
Resignation of Zaluzhnyi
Earlier sources reported that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on the removal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi. However, later, President Zelenskyy's press secretary, Serhiy Nikiforov, said in a comment to UP that Valerii Zaluzhnyi was not dismissed from his post.
