President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly told General Valery Zaluzhny, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), that he is being fired after months of friction between the two.
A senior Ukrainian official says Zaluzhny was told on Monday that his removal will be finalized with a presidential decree in the coming days. Sources say he clashed with Zelensky over mobilization at their meeting, with the general insisting the military needs an additional 500,000 conscripts, which the president does not believe he can afford to arm or even pay.
Zaluzhny embarrassed Zelensky in 2023 by publicly admitting that a Ukrainian counter-offensive using troops armed and trained by the West would achieve no “deep and meaningful breakthrough.” He also admitted the war had become a “stalemate” – which Zelensky denies.
Zaluzhny, who has resisted pressure to continue expansive offensive operations without more men and materiel, enjoys strong personal popularity, with an approval rating of 88 percent. Removing him could damage Zelensky, whose own approval rating has crashed from 84 percent at the end of 2022 to just 62 percent.
