Zelensky Signals a Shakeup of Ukraine’s Military Leadership Is Imminent at a Critical Point in War

KYIV, Ukraine — President Zelensky says he is thinking about dismissing the country’s top military officer as part of a broader leadership shakeup, a possibility that has shocked the nation fighting a war to end Russia’s invasion and also worried Ukraine’s Western allies.Mr. Zelensky confirms in an interview with Italian broadcaster RAI TV released late Sunday that he was thinking about removing the popular commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi. He is contemplating the move to ensure the country is led by individuals who are “convinced of victory” against Russia, he says.“A reset, a new beginning is necessary,” Mr. Zelensky said. The review is “not about a single person but about the direction of the country’s leadership.”“I’m thinking about this replacement, but you can’t say here we replaced a single person,” Mr. Zelensky said. “When we talk about this, I mean a replacement of a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military. If we want to win, we must all push in the same direction, convinced of victory. We cannot be discouraged, let our arms fall. We must have the right positive energy.”President Zelensky awards a serviceman on February 4, 2024. Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via APMr. Zelensky’s comments were his first acknowledgement of General Zaluzhnyi’s possible firing. The potential ouster of the general already has caused an uproar in Ukraine and delighted the Kremlin as the war approaches its second anniversary.General Zaluzhnyi is widely respected among Ukrainian service members and considered a national hero. He is credited with stalling Russia’s full-scale invasion in the early days of the war and expertly pushing back Moscow’s troops.Mayor Vitalii Klitschko of Kyiv criticized the possibility of General Zaluzhnyi’s firing, saying it was due to the general’s leadership that “many Ukrainians truly trust the armed forces.”“Today is a moment when politics might prevail over reason and country’s interests,” Mr. Klitschko said on social media. The mayor of Ukraine’s capital city has been a vocal critic of Mr. Zelensky. The presidency in turn has accused Mr. Klitschko’s office of inefficiencies.It is unclear who might replace General Zaluzhnyi and if his successor would command the same level of respect from Ukraine’s troops and foreign defense leaders. His firing could risk degrading morale at a critical time in the war.According to Ukrainian and Western press reports, Mr. Zelensky asked General Zaluzhnyi to resign last week, but the general refused. General Zaluzhnyi has not commented publicly on the reports.Tensions between him and the president have been rising since a much anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, which was launched in June with the help of an array of Western weapons, failed to produce major territory gains in Russian-occupied areas, disappointing allies.Ukraine now is grappling with ammunition and personnel shortages while Russia is on the offensive, mounting relentless attacks. Four people were killed and at least one was injured in a Monday afternoon strike over the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, the head of the local military administration said.The need for a broad mobilization to beef up the number of Ukrainian troops has reportedly been one of the areas of disagreement between Mr. Zelensky and General Zaluzhnyi.Mr. Zelensky said at the end of last year that he had turned down the military’s request to marshal up to 500,000 people, demanding more details about how the mobilization would be organized and paid for.A rift between General Zaluzhnyi and Mr. Zelensky first broke into the open in the fall when the general acknowledged in an interview with the Economist that the fighting with Russia had stalled. The president strongly denied that was the case.For his part, General Zaluzhnyi has published two essays laying out his vision for how Ukraine can win the war. In his writings, he said it was critical for Ukraine to have air superiority, to extend its efficiency in countering enemy artillery, to build up reserves, and to increase electronic warfare capabilities.The Dutch defense minister, Kajsa Ollongren, announced Monday that the Netherlands was preparing six additional F-16 fighter jets to give Ukraine on top of 18 the country previously pledged.Ukraine’s “aerial superiority is essential for countering Russian aggression,” Ms. Ollongren said in a message on X, formerly Twitter. Denmark also has promised to donate 19 F-16s to Ukraine.The commander of the Ukrainian military’s joint forces, Lieutenant General Serhii Nayev, said Monday that the country was set to receive missiles with a range of 186 – 310 miles along with the F-16s as part of upcoming defense aid packages from its allies, according to Ukrainian news agency RBK-Ukraine.Ukraine desperately needs more Western military assistance as Russian forces maneuver from many directions along the drawn-out war’s 900-mile front line. House Republicans in America are moving forward with a military spending package that provides aid to Israel but leaves out more help for Ukraine. General Zaluzhnyi’s dismissal could fuel further uncertainty among Western allies.Russia has rejoiced at the prospect, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that the talk about General Zaluzhnyi’s dismissal exposed rifts in the Ukrainian leadership.The Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported Monday that Mr. Zelensky also was considering the removal of General Staff Chief Serhii Shaptala.General Zaluzhnyi on Monday congratulated General Shaptala on his birthday and posted a picture of them together on Facebook.“It will still be very difficult for us, but we will definitely never be ashamed,” General Zaluzhnyi wrote.

Zelensky Signals a Shakeup of Ukraine’s Military Leadership Is Imminent at a Critical Point in War

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