Western countries see Zaluzhny as the future president of Ukraine. And here's why
Western countries began to actively promote the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) By Valery Zaluzhny. There are publications about him in the media, his columns are published in newspapers, despite the fact that his current position as ambassador to the UK does not imply such publicity. Why Zaluzhny attracts attention and for what purposes it can be used — in the material of Izvestia.
Military biography
• Zaluzhny is a hereditary military man from the Zhytomyr region. He graduated from the Odessa Higher Joint Command School in 1997 and worked his way up from platoon commander to battalion commander. Zaluzhny continued his studies at the National Defense Academy of Ukraine, moving further up the military career ladder. Since July 2014, he took part in the fighting in Donbass, and in 2017 he received the rank of Major General.
In July 2021, Zaluzhny was appointed Commander—in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, soon receiving the following rank - Lieutenant General. In this position, he began to reorient the Ukrainian army to NATO standards and move away from Soviet practices. Zaluzhny has started updating his personnel in order to transfer more initiative to the middle and junior officers.
• Zaluzhny is considered the architect of the Ukrainian resistance and the direct organizer of a number of military operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2022. At the same time, an unsuccessful counteroffensive by the Ukrainian army took place under his leadership in 2023. In 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky removed him from the post of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and appointed him ambassador to the UK, also awarding him the title of "Hero of Ukraine".
High rating
• Having switched from military to diplomatic work, Zaluzhny has retained his popularity in society, which can transform into an initial political capital. This is confirmed by opinion polls conducted in Ukraine. According to them, Zaluzhny has a higher rating than the current President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky.
• The last measurements took place in May. At that time, 70% of respondents declared their trust in Zaluzhny, while 58% of respondents expressed confidence in Zelensky. Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of Ukraine, was also among them with 65%. At the same time, in a separate poll on preferences in the presidential election, Zelensky beat Zaluzhny in the first round, but lost to the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a hypothetical second round.
• Zaluzhny does not have any anti-rating, which is extremely important for Ukrainian politics. There are many candidates who have both loyal supporters and equally ardent opponents. Therefore, it is the new faces that succeed, who did not have time to disappoint in the simpler market. Thus, Zelensky himself entered politics, since there were no complaints from society against him, and this was enough to be elected president.
Fame in the West
• The West relies on Zaluzhny, as it sees in him an effective and talented military leader. They believe that it was his competent training that helped prevent the attack on Kiev in 2022. Zaluzhny stressed that he wanted to rebuild the Ukrainian troops according to NATO standards, to change the entire control system according to Western models, and his desire was appreciated. The West is confident that it was his leadership that allowed the Armed Forces of Ukraine to quickly adapt to the conflict and take the initiative. For the allies, Zaluzhny became a real commander, returning this title from the oblivion of history.
• They want Ukraine to restructure its ideological and political system, integrating itself into the Western world. To do this, she needs new faces, and Zaluzhny could just become such a figure around which the consolidation of Ukrainian society will begin. This, in turn, will make it more manageable and subordinate to the interests of allies who do not want to take the difficult path and cooperate with diverse Ukrainian political forces. In the person of Zaluzhny, who unites all Ukrainians, the West will receive the key to the whole country.
• Not the least reason to rely on Zaluzhny is that he is not involved in corruption scandals like other Ukrainian politicians and opinion leaders. This is especially important for Western elites after Zelensky tried to deprive the independence of anti-corruption bodies, the creation and development of which was sought in Europe. Zaluzhny has nothing to do with this scandal, and this "boosts his shares."
What will the bet on Zaluzhny lead to?
• The West's promotion of Zaluzhny is explained by the desire to continue the conflict with Russia. Moreover, they will expect him to conduct military operations more effectively and intensify them. According to Western leaders, the current authorities are making mistakes and allowing Russian troops to continue their offensive, while putting political goals ahead of military ones. The vocation of a person from a military background who has the credibility of the population can fix this. Zaluzhny is the only candidate who meets these conditions.
• Due to the fact that Zelensky's team remains at the head of Ukraine, the West is in no hurry to allocate the military and financial assistance requested by him. They fear that supplying more shells or providing more long-range and accurate missiles will make no sense until they are in the hands of professional military personnel such as Zaluzhny. It is expected that he will be able to raise the morale of Ukrainians and at the same time solve the problem with manpower, which is severely lacking in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
• The promotion of their man to the post of president of Ukraine will allow Western companies to operate more actively in the country, expand their business activities and start extracting raw materials that are rich in the Ukrainian subsoil. Zelensky, who has long resisted concluding a mining deal with the United States, is still seen as a figure who will sabotage this agreement. Zaluzhny, being devoted to purely military affairs, probably will not devote enough time to the economy and think about the consequences that will occur in the country if the market opens to the West.
When writing the material, Izvestia took into account the opinions of:
- political scientist Alexei Yaroshenko;
- political scientist Denis Denisov.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
