Documentation of a Russian plane crash near the border with Ukraine/Telegram
The commander of the Ukrainian army, General Valery Zlozhny, refused President Volodymyr Zelensky's request to leave his post, and he may be deposed - according to various reports in the country, which is approaching the beginning of the third year of the war against the Russian invasion forces.
Tensions between the president and the popular general increased following the failure of the Ukrainian army's counteroffensive last summer, but the replacement of the chief of staff while Russian forces are now on the offensive worries many in the country and among its allies in the West.
Rumors surrounding the fate of the chief of staff spread on social media on Monday afternoon.
A few hours later, the Ministry of Defense gave an implicit response without directly addressing the issue: "Dear journalists, we immediately reply to everyone: No, this is not true."
Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of parliament from the opposition close to the Chief of Staff, said that to his understanding, Zelensky asked Mazluzhny to resign on Monday, but he refused. According to him, the conflict between them stems from personal considerations. "Personally, I think it's a bad idea," he told the Guardian. "There are no material problems between them, but Zelenskyi's office is concerned that Zelozhny is making political rather than military statements."
Goncharenko said Zelensky may fire Zelozhny and replace him - a move that requires the support of the defense minister - after assessing the reaction the public and international for this.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Chief of Staff (left) Valery Zeluzhny, November 3, 2023/Reuters
The most likely replacement would be Kirill Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, which is responsible for covert operations against Moscow.
Budanov was mentioned earlier this year as the replacement for Oleksiy Reznikov as Minister of Defense, whose protracted ouster saga began with rumors similar to those that exist today regarding the Chief of Staff. The
struggles of the forces at the top of the Ukrainian leadership come at a very sensitive time for it, not necessarily on the battlefield that remains largely static despite slight advances by Russian forces In recent weeks, Kiev has been putting a lot of effort into persuading Congress in the United States, and especially its Republican members, to approve a $61 billion military aid package that will ensure a year's worth of arms supplies from the United States. The
aid package depends on containment, in light of Republican attempts to tie it to tightening immigration policies at its border. the southern part of the United States. Former President Donald Trump, who is expected to face incumbent President Joe Biden in the November election, is putting pressure on members of his party to thwart immigration policy reform during the campaign.
In light of the uncertainty regarding the United States' policy toward Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron He urged European leaders to speed up aid. In a speech he gave to the Swedish Military Academy, Macron said that "the price of a Russian victory is too high for all of us" and warned: "There will be no more security framework and architecture on our continent if Russia wins."
The Ukrainian counteroffensive that began in June has failed to break through fortified Russian defense lines, and its critics have pointed out that it has spread across too many axes.
Nevertheless, it seems that the real dispute between the president and the chief of staff is political and not military.
The esteemed general is considered the most popular figure in the country apart from the president himself, who is worried about Zaluzheny's public status especially because he is considering holding new elections that are now frozen due to the military regime that was declared at the beginning of the war In a rare interview he gave to the "Economist" magazine at the beginning of November, the Chief of Staff said that he believes the war has
reached
an impasse.
He called on the West to increase aid to his country, but a few days later, Zelensky contradicted his army chief's grim assessment.
"Everyone gets tired, no matter what their status is. And we have different opinions. But it's not a dead end," said Zelensky at the time, who expressed hope that the F-16s from the West would lead to a breakthrough in the war in 2024.
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