The journalist notes. that Zelensky intervened both when discussing offensives and when discussing how long to hold certain areas, such as Bakhmut.

As the war progresses, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky begins to interfere more and more in military issues, which displeased ex-commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny. BILD deputy editor-in-chief Paul Ronzheimer says this.

Ronzheimer, who has regularly visited Ukraine since the beginning of the war and communicates with high-ranking officials, commented on the resignation of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny. Thus, he noted that the president began to interfere more and more in the affairs of the military.

“While Zelensky in his close circle complained more and more about the commander-in-chief, those around Zaluzhny said that the problem was how Zelensky interfered in military issues… If at the beginning of the war, during the battle for Kiev, he stayed aloof and trusted his military, then Subsequently, he became more self-confident and increasingly intervened with his advisers in detailed military issues.”

As the journalist notes, his intervention took place both when discussing offensives and when discussing how long certain areas, such as Bakhmut, should be held.

So, according to Ronzheimer, Zaluzhny wanted to leave Bakhmut a year ago, but Zelensky was against it for political reasons.

In addition, the commander-in-chief also doubted the success of the counter-offensive in the summer of 2023, saying that Western weapons were not enough. But the Allies insisted on an offensive, which turned out to be a mistake.

The deputy chief editor of BILD calls the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Syrsky, “a person about whom they say that he expresses fewer objections.”

Zelensky replaced the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

As reported, on February 8, President Vladimir Zelensky said in an evening video message that he had dismissed Valery Zaluzhny from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Instead of Zaluzhny, the head of state appointed Colonel General Alexander Syrsky to this position. He believes that 2024 can be successful for Ukraine only if there are effective changes in the basis of defense.

Advisor to the head of the president’s office, Mikhail Podolyak, explained that the president’s decision to change the commander-in-chief was necessary for several reasons. According to him, this step, in particular, was caused by the need to reconsider the tactics of action, which “did not fully ensure the desired result last year.” As The Times wrote, among the reasons for Zaluzhny’s dismissal were the failure to provide a military plan for 2024, as well as the fact that the general directly negotiated with allies on arms supplies and excluded the Ministry of Defense from this process.