Experts believe that Zaloghny (right) is threatening Zelensky's political future (Al Jazeera)

Kiev -

 The talk of the hour in Ukraine today is not related to the course of the war, but rather to speculation about President Volodymyr Zelensky's intention to dismiss Chief of Staff General Valery Zalughny from his position, which over the course of two years made him one of the country's most important and prominent figures.

The idea of ​​dismissal was raised late last year, and it seems that the dispute between the president and Zaloghny worsened to the point that a number of deputies and officials confirmed that the dismissal had already taken place, or had become an imminent inevitability.

The institutions of the presidency, the army, and parliament have not officially commented, but with the repeated news and discussions about it, it seems that there is a real problem that has caused controversy in the street and on social media, between supporters and opponents of this step, and others discussing the reasons that brought the relationship to this point.

The institutions of the presidency, the army, and parliament did not issue any official statements regarding the dismissal of the Chief of Staff (European)

Popular interactions

Those who objected to the move to dismiss the Chief of Staff through an electronic petition on the presidency’s website. It did not take long until the number of those who signed the petition exceeded 25,000 people, which is the minimum required to oblige Zelensky to review the petition without ignoring it.

As for the supporters, they agree on the idea that “Zalozhny was unable to radically change the course of the war in favor of Ukraine, since its forces advanced in Kherson Province (south) in late 2022, and the counter-operations that he led in 2023 did not reach any significant result.”

It is expected that the process of dismissing this senior military official will not be easy, and this may cause angry popular reactions that may be unlike any previous reactions since the beginning of the Russian war on the country.

An advertisement in Independence Square in Kiev likens the fight against the Russians to the fight against monsters in the movie "The Lord of the Rings" (Al Jazeera)

Causes of disagreement

However, political and military experts point to several reasons that accumulated together and turned the relationship between Zelensky and the general from a dispute into a conflict, and these reasons can be summarized as follows:

  • Military oversight of officials:

    This may have been the first dispute that appeared publicly at the beginning of the summer of 2022, as the General Staff demanded that young officials of military service age obtain permission from the people to leave the country, and this matter prompted Zelensky to intervene and reject the request, and then later confirmed the unity of the institutions. Country.

  • A sharp contrast in views:

    This contrast was first revealed in November 2022 when Zaloghny published an article in the British magazine The Economist about Ukraine’s inability to achieve a radical change in the current situation in its favor, and what it needs to achieve this.

The article greatly angered Zelensky at the time, especially since he had stressed that the situation had not reached - in any way - a dead end, and he then criticized the general openly, and publicly, for the first time.

But the matter was repeated after that, with regard to both of them’s outlook on several issues, starting with the amount of Western support required, passing through the progress and faltering of counter-operations, and ending with the need to mobilize hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

  • West's support and faltering operations:

    Zelensky and Zaloghny clearly disagreed on the amount of support required to launch counter-operations against the Russian presence in 2023.

The presidential team was portraying that these operations, once they begin, would burn everything green and dry where the Russians are present on the territory of Ukraine. As for Zaloghny, he was criticizing the “rainbow” drawing and asserting that Ukraine had not received all the required support, and that the Russians would remain in control as long as the Ukrainian sky was under it. Their control.

However, many believe that Zaloghny bears direct responsibility for the failure of these operations in his capacity as Chief of Staff, but others see him as “the best among Western partners” by virtue of his professionalism, clarity, and what he achieved on the ground.

  • The struggle over popularity:

    Zaloghny's star shone with the beginning of the war, and it became even brighter with the departure of Russian forces from the north of the country and large areas in the east and south. This is why many believe that he has become a real rival to the president who was unique in absolute popularity at the beginning of the war.

Oleksiy Haran, head of the Center for Political Analysis, told Al Jazeera Net, “I think this is a major reason why the dispute has turned into a conflict, and that Zaloghny has become a real threat to Zelensky’s political future. He hinted at the possibility of entering the world of politics, and the matter may affect Zelensky, especially if presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Next March, as scheduled and expected.”

Military expert and reserve forces colonel, Oleg Zhdanov, alludes to this from his angle, telling Al Jazeera Net, “Zelensky spoke about the need to mobilize half a million soldiers, and Zaloghny denied, ruling out the need for mobilization of this size now. The parties also propose laws for mobilization, and fail to approve any of them. It seems Gaining popularity and support preoccupies everyone, far from the truth, reality, and what we want.”

Ukrainian street fears

The Ukrainian street is afraid of the results of this dispute, and all the facts or rumors surrounding it, and it is almost unanimous that it will be negative for the country in the midst of war.

Young Anton told Al Jazeera Net, "I am a supporter of President Zelensky, but the matter is a disaster at the wrong time. The two worked together and gained everyone's trust and support. I hope that a rift will not occur, and that it will be just trivial rumours."

The young woman, Oleksandra, says, “Dismissal would be a grave mistake for Zelensky to commit. Zaloghny’s military role is important and has not ended. Zelensky is the one who performed his role well, but he can no longer offer more.”

Valentina says, "I hope this will not affect the course of the war in Russia's favor. The West will not support us if a dispute breaks out between the leaders for a long time. They must bear responsibility with honor, and rise above any personal interests for the sake of their poor people."

Source: Al Jazeera