For more than a month, an apparently growing rift between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, General Valerii Zaluzhny, has attracted international attention. Disappointment following Ukraine’s failed counteroffensive escalated into a public conflict in early November when Zaluzhny said in an interview with The Economist that the war with Russia has reached a stalemate that could drag on for years. Zelensky then rejected this assessment and repeated his refusal to negotiate any ceasefire deal with Moscow. The president later warned that it is a big mistake for soldiers to engage in politics. On December 3, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko publicly supported Zaluzhny’s comments about the war, adding to speculation about a schism between Ukraine’s leaders. Meanwhile, Mariana Bezuhla — a member of parliament from the pro-presidential Servant of the People party — has called for Zaluzhny’s ouster, complaining that Ukraine’s Armed Forces still haven’t presented lawmakers with next year’s battle plan.
La Ursidinoj (Bjornsdottirs)
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