Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has publicly supported the appointment of former Ukrainian military commander-in-chief Valery Zarzhny as the next ambassador to the UK, in a move widely seen as an attempt to sideline his biggest political opponent. being done.
on video statementPresident Zelenskiy announced this week that he would support General Zarzhny, who was dismissed from the military’s top post earlier this year following last year’s failed counterattack against Russia, as the next diplomat to Britain.
“General. Valery Zarzhny told me that this is the direction he wants to go – diplomacy,” Zelenskiy said, adding: “The alliance with Britain should become even stronger.”
If approved by London, Zarzhiny will replace Vadim Prystaiko, who was ousted from his post last July. rear He mildly criticized President Zelenskiy in public.
Mr. Zarzhniy was widely respected in Ukraine and internationally as the leader who successfully repulsed Russian forces from Kiev at the outbreak of war in 2022. But he appeared to have lost the government’s credibility following a highly publicized but ultimately unsuccessful pushback last year.
Crucially, he publicly acknowledged that the war had descended into a World War I-like stalemate, and three months later he was relieved of his position as commander-in-chief.
Although it is a significant departure, Mr Zarzhny is likely to serve as one of Ukraine’s top international figures lobbying the West to continue supplying Ukraine with arms and funds, and the UK is likely to remain in Kiev’s position on the international stage. It is one of the major financial and military supporters of the country.
‘We need a new approach, a new strategy’: dismissal of head of Ukraine’s armed forces https://t.co/hvfe6V6mX2
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 8, 2024
But observers were quick to point out that the move would effectively remove Mr. Zarzhny from Ukraine’s domestic political scene, making it likely that if another election were held in the war-torn country, Mr. He is widely seen as Zelenskiy’s main political rival.
When you talk to new york timesUkrainian political analyst Mykola Davidiuk Said: “It’s a political move… For Zelensky, the motive is to block him in the media, to get him out of here, to make sure he’s no longer active.”
Indeed, just days before Mr. Zarkhizny’s appointment was announced in London, a poll conducted by the Kiev-based firm SOCIS found that the former commander-in-chief was significantly ahead of Mr. Zelenskiy in a potential presidential matchup. It turned out to be advantageous.
According to the survey, in the first round, 41% of respondents said they supported Mr. Zarzhny, while only 23.7% supported Mr. Zelenskiy. newsweek report.
Ukraine’s election rules stipulate that if no candidate wins a majority in the first round, a second round of elections will be held. Under this scenario, the current president is expected to secure only 32.5 percent of the vote, with opinion polls finding that 67.5 percent of voters support Mr. Zarzhny.
Zelenskiy’s first presidential term was due to end this year, but elections were called off. unconstitutional The country is under martial law and cannot hold presidential elections under Ukrainian law. President Zelenskiy previously announced his intention to hold elections regardless of whether the US and EU pay for them, but later backtracked and in November announced he would hold elections while the country is at war. He said it would be “totally irresponsible” to do so.
Zelenskiy: Proposal to hold elections in Ukraine is ‘totally irresponsible’https://t.co/GPqHhM5yRA
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 7, 2023
