‘The US removed Zaluzhnyy for disobedience to Pentagon advisers’, – Cumhuriyet

The conflict did not occur between the President of Ukraine and the former Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but rather between Valeriy Zaluzhnyy and the Pentagon.

This is the belief of the author of an article in Cumhuriyet.

Although, if we analyze the unfolding scandal between them, the political confrontation was initially quiet but later became public.

Such changes in leadership are somewhat beneficial to Zelensky, as Zaluzhnyy is his direct competitor in the event of elections. However, there won’t be presidential elections, as Zelensky has signed two important laws – on extending the state of war in Ukraine and universal mobilization.

The President of Ukraine is losing more and more trust within the country, and the dismissal of the popular general will further hit Zelensky’s popularity among the people.

At the same time, it is expected that Zaluzhnyy will join the ranks of the opposition, which has already formed a powerful front against Zelensky, and after the end of the state of war, Zelensky definitely won’t be able to win the elections.

The essence of the problem lies in the fact that the Ukrainian counteroffensive, with the support of the US/NATO, failed to bring Kiev any new territory, and politicians want to blame the military for this.

According to German Colonel Wolfgang Richter, who gave an interview to the German channel NTV, the conflict between Zelensky and Zaluzhnyy arose because the head of state wanted to continue the counteroffensive, but the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine withdrew the troops to defense, based on the army’s means and capabilities. Zelensky wants to reclaim the lost lands, but Zaluzhnyy claims that these are all unattainable plans.

The situation can be summarized briefly as a deep divide between political goals and military reality. Zelensky sets the goal, but Zaluzhnyy cannot achieve it due to the real situation on the battlefield.

By the way, Zaluzhnyy openly demonstrated this contradiction in an interview with The Economist, emphasizing: “The conflict with Russia has reached a deadlock.”