Zaluzhny's Dismissal: Bloomberg Names Another Reason For Zelensky's Dissatisfaction

• 10.02.2024, 8:43

What did the President of Ukraine not like about the former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces?

Former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhny always proposed rather cautious plans for waging war, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted more decisive actions. This was one of the reasons.

The publication notes that an official once called Zelensky thin-skinned. But people familiar with the military leadership say that it did not look like that in the relations between the President and the Commande-in-Chief.

“At least part of the split [between Zelensky and Zaluzhny] revolves around Zelensky’s preference for a bolder military plan, which is at odds with what the more cautious Zaluzhny had planned for the months ahead,” states Bloomberg.

The tension between the two grew when Zaluzhny publicly referred to the situation at the front as“stalemate” in an interview with The Economist last November. It seemed for many a statement of fact, but the terminology was sensitive for Zelensky, Bloomberg writes.

“One thing remains unchanged: the Ukrainian president hates the word “stalemate”. It’s a loaded term, one that sits at the core of his spat with [Zaluzhny]”, the publication notes.