Two informed sources confirmed last Friday that the Ukrainian government has informed the White House of its plans to dismiss the country’s top military commander, who oversees the war against Russian forces. This move to oust General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, who had disagreements with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a range of issues, follows a Ukrainian counter-offensive last year that failed to reclaim large areas under Russian control.
A source close to Zelenskyy’s office stated that the two men had a dispute over a new military mobilization campaign, with the President opposing Zaluzhnyi’s proposal to mobilize an additional 500,000 soldiers. However, the process of relieving Zaluzhnyi from his position as the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is currently on hold while both sides plan their next steps. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, mentioned that it is unclear how long this process will take.
A second informed source stated that the White House has not taken a position on Zaluzhnyi’s replacement plan. This source, requesting anonymity to discuss the matter, confirmed, “The White House’s response was that we neither support nor oppose their sovereign decision.”
The Washington Post was the first to report that Ukraine had informed the White House of the plan to dismiss Zaluzhnyi. According to a source close to the Ukrainian President’s office, American officials told Ukraine they do not oppose Zaluzhnyi’s dismissal. “The United States agrees with Ukraine’s decision to dismiss him,” the source added.
Currently, both parties (the President and the General) are pausing to determine what the future will look like, and for now, the status quo remains until further notice. The source mentioned that the disagreements between Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi regarding mobilization are due to the President’s belief that the military already has a sufficient number of personnel that can be utilized more efficiently. “Zaluzhnyi insists on mobilizing half a million men. Zelenskyy believes that is not necessary at the moment.”
Zaluzhnyi, known as “the Iron General,” is very popular, and his dismissal could harm the morale of the Ukrainian forces fighting to maintain positions along more than a thousand kilometers of front lines against a massive Russian force armed with large ammunition stocks. The Ukrainian forces are experiencing a shortage of vital ammunition, and supplies from the United States, the country’s largest arms provider, are running out. A dispute between the White House and some Republican members of the House of Representatives has hindered the approval of a new aid package.
A series of reports from Western and Ukrainian media have mentioned that Zaluzhnyi has refused Zelenskyy’s request to step down. Despite his popularity and inspirational leadership, Zaluzhnyi’s potential replacement might indicate Kyiv’s desire to adopt a new approach in dealing with the conflict.
