Has the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine agreed to resign?

"According to my sources, Mr. Zaluzhny has agreed to be ambassador to the UK. He will most likely go there and we all know that those who leave the country to be ambassadors are all political retirees. None of them return to their previous positions. This is a Ukrainian tradition. I do not like to disappoint Mr. Zaluzhny's fans," MP Yevgeny Shevchenko said in a recent interview, according to TASS on February 5.

Tổng tư lệnh Ukraine đã đồng ý từ chức?- Ảnh 1. — Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army Valery Zaluzhny at a ceremony in Kyiv in November 2023

The MP believes that if Mr. Zaluzhny chooses to stay in Ukraine and start building a political career, he will certainly have a good future. According to MP Shevchenko's prediction, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian army may resign on February 8.

News of Mr. Zaluzhny’s dismissal emerged in late January, when President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that Mr. Zaluzhny should voluntarily resign. Mr. Zaluzhny is said to have clashed with President Zelensky over how to conduct the war. According to Reuters, the military wanted to mobilize an additional half a million troops in 2024, but President Zelensky opposed it. Mr. Zaluzhny’s potential departure is said to also stem from the failure of last year’s counteroffensive.

Ukrainian President: Not only replacing the Commander-in-Chief, but 'reshaping' the entire system

In an interview published on February 4, Mr. Zelensky said he was considering replacing Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny as part of a plan to reform the military apparatus. Soldiers fighting in the east expressed concern about this plan, but some also said that the effectiveness would depend on who would take over.

"I think a dismissal would be inappropriate at this time, because on the battlefield you don't change commanders," the commander of an anti-tank unit codenamed Tiger at the Avdiivka front in Donetsk told Reuters.

Whoever takes over must ensure new troops are brought in to replace them and more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Mr. Tiger said, something Mr. Zaluzhny has called for.

“Before you remove someone, especially in an important position, you need to make sure who is replacing them and their vision for the future of this situation. If the government wants to change someone, these changes should make things better, not worse,” said Mr. Ihor, a company commander.

Mr Mykola, commander of a Grad rocket launcher, said Mr Zaluzhny was caught in a political conflict. "People say we had some success in 2022. But in 2023 it will not be the same. That does not mean Mr Zaluzhny is not running the army well," Mr Mykola said.

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