According to the publication, the general has not yet announced his political goals, so it is useless for President Vladimir Zelensky to change the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine now, so as not to push him into politics.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny are in a difficult situation due to rumors about Zaluzhny’s political ambitions. Some Ukrainian analysts liken Zaluzhny to Dwight D. Eisenhower, who entered politics after the end of World War II and became president of the United States. The German newspaper Der Speigel writes about this.
The publication cites Ukrainian political scientist Vladimir Fesenko. Fesenko said that Zelensky’s opponents were interested in “playing” the president and general, as Zaluzhny was the only person with the potential to defeat Zelensky in the next elections.
In an interview with the British tabloid newspaper The Sun, Zelensky warned the army that if they declared war with the thought that they would play politics tomorrow, they would behave like politicians, not soldiers.
The publication notes that Zaluzhny has not yet announced his political goals. His predecessor as commander-in-chief, Viktor Muzhenko, suggested that he could immediately dispel the rumors by publicly declaring that Zaluzhny had no ambitions.
Fesenko believes that a strange impasse has arisen in relations between Zelensky and Zaluzhny. On the one hand, Zaluzhny is Zelensky’s subordinate and officially the president can fire him at any time. On the other hand, Zelensky knows that if he does this, he will drag Zaluzhny exactly where he does not want to go: into politics.
Let us remind you, on December 4 it was reported that at the next group meeting of deputies of the Servant of the People political party will discuss Maryana Bezugla’s statements about the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny.
Earlier, on November 30, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak denied rumors that there was some kind of conflict between Zelensky and Zaluzhny. However, he acknowledged that there were “difficult” talks between the president and the commander in chief.
Source: Focus
Bridger is a political journalist at 24 News Breaker, covering the Politics section with over 5 years of experience. Known for their detail-oriented reporting, Bridger delivers insightful and engaging analysis on political issues.