Kyiv, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was angry when he learned about the interview with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Valerii Zaluzhnyi to The Economist magazine, in which he admitted the unpleasant truth about the situation at the front. The newspaper reported on it on January 1st Financial Times.
Until now, Zaluzhnyi had stayed out of the media, with a few exceptions, including a November interview with The Economist in which he said the situation was at an impasse – a taboo word in government circles which exasperated the president, says the document.
On November 1, Zaluzhnyi, in an interview with The Economist, said that Ukrainian troops could not achieve a breakthrough because the conflict was at a stalemate. The continuation of hostilities carries great risks for the Ukrainian armed forces, he stressed.
On November 4, Zelenskyy did not agree with the opinion of the commander-in-chief. He admitted that the offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces is difficult due to the air control of the Russian forces, but “it is not a dead end”. At the same time, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Igor Zhovkva noted that Zaluzhnyi’s statement was inappropriate and caused panic among the leaders of Western countries.
On November 28, The Economist reported that the conflict between Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi was provoked by the failure of the counteroffensive. The publication also notes that relations between the president and the commander-in-chief deteriorated after Zaluzhnyi’s interview with The Economist in early November, in which the general called the Ukrainian conflict a stalemate for Kyiv.
Later, the Financial Times newspaper, citing a source, wrote that after Zaluzhnyi’s remarks about the situation on the front line, some Western leaders called Kiev to clarify whether negotiations with Russia were now a priority for the Ukrainian part.
The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of a worsening situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian army.
