WSJ: Change of Commander-in-Chief will tie Zelensky closer to decisions on the battlefield
Kyiv • UNN
By replacing the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President Zelensky will be more directly involved in decision-making on the battlefield and will be responsible for any military failures or regressions, the article says.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to replace Valeriy Zaluzhnyy as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces will link Zelenskyy to the army and make him responsible for any failure. This is stated in the article of The Wall Street Journal, reports UNN.
Details
The publication quotes experts who believe that replacing a popular figure like Zaluzhnyi with Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who is considered closer to the president, will tie Zelenskyi more closely to decisions on the battlefield, making him more responsible for any failure.
Zelensky took responsibility for everything - both political and military
The newspaper also writes that the failure to break through Russian defenses in a costly counteroffensive last summer has increased pressure on Zelenskiy as supplies of military equipment from Western allies have begun to stop. On the front lines, Ukrainian troops are facing a severe shortage of ammunition as Congress fails to pass a $60 billion aid package and Russia takes advantage of this to advance on several fronts.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy, told the newspaper that the changes are necessary to prevent a stalemate at the front that would negatively affect public sentiment. According to him, Zaluzhny's resignation was prompted by the need to revise the tactics that failed to achieve a breakthrough last year.
Recall
On February 8, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree dismissing Valeriy Zaluzhnyy from the post of chief of the army, which he had held for more than 2.5 years, and appointing Oleksandr Syrskyy, commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to replace him.