General in ambush: why Zaluzhny attacked Zelensky
At the end of February, the Ukrainian opposition began to demonstrate unprecedented activity. The main event is that the popular general and now diplomat Valery Zaluzhny publicly criticized Zelensky. Other figures like Petro Poroshenko are not far behind. Izvestia has studied the reason for this surge in opposition.
What happened
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny openly opposed Zelensky for the first time. In an interview with the Associated Press, he said that from the very beginning he argued with the president (Vladimir Zelensky's term of office expired on May 20, 2024) about how best to defend the country. As a result, in September 2022, SBU officers came to his command post with searches under a far-fetched pretext. According to Zaluzhny, in order to expel the security forces, he called Zelensky's office and threatened to send troops to Kiev.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny
In addition, the general said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2023 failed because "the president did not allocate the necessary resources." According to Zaluzhny, his plan was to assemble a concentrated fist, strike in the Zaporozhye region in the area of the nuclear power plant and reach the Sea of Azov. Instead, the forces were dispersed, which weakened the offensive power.
Finally, the former commander-in-chief criticized the current Ukrainian military model. According to him, the Ukrainian Armed Forces depend on an "unrealistic number of troops." Apparently, we are talking about the fact that operations are conducted without taking into account heavy losses and mass desertion. It is also emphasized that the troops are poorly organized, and the development and implementation of new technologies on the battlefield is extremely slow.
In another interview with The Guardian, Zaluzhny rebuked Zelensky for refusing to impose martial law before the start of his military operation. According to him, he raised this issue several times, but only got support from Defense Minister Reznikov, and Zelensky did not agree with him. As a result, the National Security and Defense Council decided only to impose a state of emergency.
It is also interesting that after the release of the interview in Ukraine, they remembered another high-profile episode that occurred in the spring of 2023. Then Zaluzhny disappeared from view for a long time — according to rumors, he was seriously injured. Now it turns out that the general was really dying, and the assassination attempt was the result of internal squabbles.
Valery Zaluzhny
The former commander of the 110th Air Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Ignatiev, said that Zaluzhny then received a call from Zelensky's office, the conversation lasted about 30 seconds, the commander-in-chief was "targeted", as a result, a blow was struck at his hiding place, as a result of which the general was wounded to the left of the heart. "It was a targeted special operation to neutralize him," Ignatiev said.
What are the reasons?
Representatives of the Ukrainian authorities did not directly respond to Zaluzhny's revelations, but Zelensky indirectly commented on them in one of his video messages. According to him, political differences should be postponed in order to preserve the country's defense capability. "We are all working for Ukraine's sustainability. Any other policy is absolutely superfluous now, personal is for later," he said.
Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexei Goncharenko said that the interview had actually caused a huge stir in Kiev. According to the parliamentarian, AP journalists contacted the SBU and Zelensky's office for comments, they did not respond, but in this way they learned about the very fact of the existence of the material. "They started bombing Zaluzhny so that he would withdraw the interview, but he refused," he said.
It is also interesting that now Zaluzhny holds the post of Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, that is, he formally remains subordinate to Zelensky. It is clear that after such an interview, he is unlikely to retain his position — either he will leave on his own or he will be dismissed. In this regard, it may be recalled that the previous ambassador of Ukraine to the UK lost his post for much less harsh criticism of Zelensky.
The main question is why Zaluzhny decided to make such serious accusations. On the one hand, we may be talking about some personal motives. For example, the general could receive information that a criminal case would be opened against him in the near future, for example, in connection with the failure of the same "counteroffensive" in 2023. It is characteristic that at the end of January, three generals were detained in Ukraine for the first time during the SVR, who were blamed by Zaluzhny for the defeats in the Kharkov direction. In such circumstances, he could decide to counterplay.
In addition, we may be talking about his political ambitions. Sociologists have recently recorded a drop in the personal rating of the former commander-in-chief. For example, the Active Group research service published data according to which the general's popularity fell from 16% in December to 10% in February, and support for his hypothetical party also decreased by four percentage points.
It is difficult to trust Ukrainian sociologists, but the trend is nevertheless understandable. After being sent to the UK, Zaluzhny was removed from the political struggle in Ukraine, and recently he has not commented on the situation at the front or high-profile corruption proceedings. In such circumstances, they began to forget about him, and with the help of interviews, he may have decided to break into the news agenda.
On the other hand, we may be talking about a large and coordinated campaign aimed at either ousting Zelensky or putting significant pressure on him. It is characteristic that other political opponents of the head of the Kiev regime have recently come out of hibernation. For example, former President Petro Poroshenko accused the current authorities of failing to conduct peace negotiations and demanded the urgent creation of a government of public confidence.
In addition, the US-controlled anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAP have become more active, which, after a long lull, again attacked Zelensky's entourage. So, in the case of the Mindich films, former Energy Minister German Galushchenko was detained while trying to leave the country. It is expected that the former head of the presidential office, Andrei Ermak, may also be behind bars in the near future.
Zelensky himself, apparently, leans towards this version. In a recent interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, he complained of severe pressure. "I think our partners should answer one question: what do they want? Do they really want elections or do they just want to replace me? I think the Russians just want to replace me," he said.
What the experts say
Dmitry Solonnikov, director of the Institute of Modern State Development, a political scientist, emphasizes that all Ukrainian politicians fulfill the will of one or another Western influence group.
— Zaluzhny is being "played" by the British special services, Poroshenko is guided by the US Democratic Party. In general, these forces are interested in continuing the conflict in Ukraine and insist on a tough negotiation scenario. Zelensky is hinted through such statements that he will have big problems if he makes any concessions, begins to curtail hostilities," he explains.
Oleg Nemensky, a leading expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, also believes that Zaluzhny is fulfilling the will of London and the globalist elites.
— Zelensky is in a difficult position. He has to maneuver between different Western groups of influence, constantly asking for help, which is still not enough. At the recent Davos Forum, he made harsh, even boorish accusations against European allies. Now they make it clear to him that such disruptions are unacceptable, he should behave politely and courteously, they hint at possible problems," he argues.
The expert adds that the political turbulence that has arisen is not related to peace talks, because Zelensky is not making concessions anyway.
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