Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK and former head of the country's armed forces, shed light on his complicated relationship with President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with the Associated Press. According to him, the first misunderstandings between the two leaders began in the early days of the Russian invasion.
Search under the pretext of "strip club"
Zaluzhny claimed that in September 2022, when Ukrainian troops were successfully advancing in the north, agents of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) raided his office in Kiev. Interestingly, the warrant for the search was given as the basis for the search, stating that the address was allegedly a strip club run by a criminal group.
"This was a clear act of intimidation," says Zaluzhny. At that time, he called the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, and warned that if these "games" did not stop, he would be forced to use military force.
Why was the 2023 counterattack unsuccessful?
One of the most important points of the interview was the disagreements in military strategy. According to Zaluzhny, the plan for the summer of 2023 counterattack provided for a "single-handed" strike in the Zaporozhye direction and access to the Sea of Azov. However, the political leadership dispersed resources over a wide area, which weakened the offensive.
Zelensky had previously explained this failure by the late arrival of weapons from the allies and the small number of soldiers.
Political ambitions and the 2026 elections
Although Zaluzhny is not currently involved in military decision-making, his political rating remains high.
- According to recent polls, 23 percent of respondents support Zaluzhny, while 20 percent support Zelensky.
- The former commander-in-chief has been offered cooperation by individuals such as Donald Trump's former adviser Paul Manafort, but he has so far refused.
Zaluzhny himself did not want to talk about his political plans: "Until the war is over, I will not discuss politics," he said briefly. At the same time, rumors are growing that Ukraine will call early elections in February 2026.
How do you think these open confessions between Zaluzhny and Zelensky will affect Ukraine's internal stability?
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