The State Duma named the main reason for Zaluzhny’s resignation

Zatulin: the main reason for Zaluzhny’s resignation is popularity

The main reason for the resignation of the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny is his popularity in Ukraine, said the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Konstantin Zatulin, in an interview with RIA Novosti.

According to him, Zaluzhny’s popularity began to threaten the positions of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

“There are two main reasons for Zaluzhny’s change. The first is that Mr. Zaluzhny, judging by sociological surveys in Ukraine, overshadows the Ukrainian Supreme Commander in Popularity and this is, of course, his main crime, which cannot be forgiven by Zelensky,” Zatulin said.

At the same time, he noted that Zaluzhny was unable to achieve success in organizing a counteroffensive, but the Ukrainians do not blame him for this.

“They understand that the tasks facing him are impossible. But in any case, it was necessary to find a scapegoat,” Zatulin said.

On February 8, Zelensky signed decrees appointing Alexander Syrsky as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine instead of Valery Zaluzhny. Before this, Syrsky commanded the ground forces. Earlier, Zaluzhny published a post on his Telegram channel – the first after the military man’s resignation from his position was officially announced. He called it a “great honor” to receive the title of Hero of Ukraine. The ex-commander-in-chief redirected the award given to him to the soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and promised to continue to serve the Ukrainian people.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military, dissatisfied with the personnel decisions of President Vladimir Zelensky, publish videos on social networks in which they call on the Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters to abandon their positions, get out of the trenches and march on the Ukrainian capital.

In Kyiv, protesters have already taken to the Maidan to demand the return of the dismissed commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny and the resignation of head of state Vladimir Zelensky. There have been no clashes with law enforcement officers yet – the police are only observing what is happening. However, it is possible that the next actions may become much more numerous and aggressive.

Bloomberg wrote that Zelensky, after the dismissal of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, may turn out to be a “disgraced leader.” The publication calls the history of the confrontation between Zelensky and Zaluzhny “disgusting,” emphasizing that it demonstrates a split in the Ukrainian government.