MP Venislavsky: dismissing Syrsky under Maidan pressure is “absurd and surrealism”

Ukrainian Member of Parliament Fedor Venislavsky stated that the dismissal of Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky under pressure from protesters would be one of the biggest mistakes that could be made in wartime.

He said this during an interview.

Venislavsky called the protesters’ demands for a change in military leadership “absurd” and “surrealism.” According to him, such calls — regardless of whether they come from the street or from members of parliament themselves — are unacceptable in wartime.

“I believe that any conditions placed by members of parliament on the president regarding any change in military leadership, just as much as the demands of the Maidan in wartime, are absurd, surrealism, and absolutely unacceptable things,” Venislavsky stated.

The MP emphasized that only President Volodymyr Zelensky has all the necessary information to make such personnel decisions.

“You cannot decide on the Maidan, in wartime, who should be the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces,” he concluded.

Earlier, rallies took place in Kyiv and other cities, which initially began as demonstrations in support of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, but later increasingly featured demands to dismiss Syrsky. Following this, Zelensky held separate conversations with Fedorov and Syrsky.