1 February 2024
Ukraine’s embattled army chief has said the country cannot match Russia’s manpower without taking “unpopular measures”, in a veiled swipe at Volodymyr Zelensky.
General Valery Zaluzhny called on his political masters to “seize the moment” as he alluded to Mr Zelensky’s reluctance to back his call for a military draft of up to 500,000 people.
The popular general, who is expected to be sacked within days according to numerous reports, went public with his views in an op-ed for the US network CNN on Thursday.
He wrote: “We must acknowledge the significant advantage enjoyed by the enemy in mobilising human resources and how that compares with the inability of state institutions in Ukraine to improve the manpower levels of our armed forces without the use of unpopular measures.”
Gen Zaluzhny has long argued that as many as half a million people may need to be called up if Kyiv is to successfully counter Russia’s overwhelmingly superior troop numbers.
The dispute between the Ukrainian president and his army chief has spilled into the public eye amid growing concerns about the West’s commitment to continue funding Kyiv.
The EU finally agreed a €50 billion (£42.6 billion) package on Thursday after Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, ended his months-long holdout in the face of intense pressure from the bloc’s 26 other members.
But concerns remain over the delay to approve a new round of funding by the US, a lynchpin in the Western coalition backing Ukraine.
He highlighted drones in particular, as “crucial” to providing “the best way for Ukraine to avoid being drawn into a positional war, where we do not possess the advantage”.
The article was written by the general before an expected announcement of his dismissal. CNN earlier reported the Ukrainian president was set to announce Gen Zaluzhny’s dismissal by the end of the week, in what would be the biggest shake-up of his military since Russia invaded.
The general was called to a meeting in Mr Zelensky’s office on Monday to be informed he was being dismissed, the network reported. Gen Zaluzhny was said to have been offered a different post by Mr Zelensky, but declined.
The rift between the pair appeared to have taken root last year, amid the failure of Ukraine’s counter-offensive.
Gen Zaluzhny also drew an angry retort from Mr Zelensky when he described the war with Russia as a “stalemate” in an interview with The Economist.
Ihor Zhovkv, the president’s spokesman, suggested the “last thing” his military should be doing is commenting to the press on the state of the front line.
“Because then we will facilitate the aggressor’s work,” he said.
Mr Zelensky publicly addressed the dispute with his senior military leadership in his December press conference, when he confirmed the military had proposed mobilising 450,000-500,000 more Ukrainians.
The Ukrainian president signalled he was unconvinced by the rationale, telling reporters: “I said I would need more arguments to support this move.”
Selected comments from DT readers :
William Tell
This ridiculous stalemated conflict has been continuing for far too long. A peace deal must be supported by the West so that the death and destruction can cease.
Reply by philippjus. Reply to William Tell Don’t be so deceptive what you’re actually saying is force Ukraine into surrendering because everyone knows Russia will accept nothing but victory and sadly will countenance no peace deal that gives real security to any
residual Ukrainian territory so when the moment comes all Ukraine is taken. Your attitude is exactly the same as that which avoided war in 1938 by giving Hitler just a little bit of Czechoslovakia for peace in our time. They took the lot, made weapons and recruited in Czechoslovakia increasing their military capabilities and the peace lasted barely a year.
Troll:
Gregory Edelston
The war is in its last days. It will continue until Trump is in office. Then Ukraine is bifurcated.
Mike Roberts
These two need to get their act together and carry on working together in a professional manner. Division is not what Ukraine needs right now.
Piggy Boon
Look, mobilise another 500k, Faster you do it, the faster this war is done.
Troll Reply : Gregory Edelston Reply to Piggy Boon Except that they don’t want to die, or they are abroad and ain’t coming back. The average age of a Ukrainian soldier is 46.
Martin Andre
Generals have to win wars.
Politicians have to win elections.
rb Lally
Sooner or later a peace deal has to be found so let’s hope it’s sooner.
Mike Roberts Reply to rb Lally Trouble is ‘sooner’ implies handing over chunks of sovereign Ukraine to the Russian aggressor. Reply by Steve Battersby. Reply to Mike Roberts
* If the Ukraine people are not prepared to volunteer to fight for their ‘sovereign territory’ then there’s no point conscripting them. Better to start peace talks now and save lives.
Mike Roberts
Reply to Steve Battersby
That’s appeasement. We all know where that leads.
norma desmond Need to fight a Western technology war not one ion Russian terms of sheer swamping piles of dead. Comment by Pat Eardley.
Is he saying that the technological battlefield still needs just as many boots on the ground, one doesn’t replace the other?
The troll Gregory Edelston says: “The war is in its last days. It will continue until Trump is in office. Then Ukraine is bifurcated.”
Bifurcated is just another word for partitioned; something that Trump has been talking openly about since 2015; probably earlier.
Would be better to bifurcate the US. Northern states had been much too tolerant to the stupid South after the Civil War.
This must stop! Throwing mud at each other publicly is the worst thing Zaluzhny and Zelensky can do right now. There are plenty of opportunities for this childishness when the roaches have been eliminated. What the country needs is unity! How can they expect unity from Europe and the US if they themselves are infighting like this.
Mafia land is grinning like a demon right now!
If the dispute is really about mobilization/conscription, then obviously Zal is in the right.
Every asset, including teens, convicts, females, whatever, need to be mobilized.
And yes, if they can’t raise 500,000 volunteers, they must conscript, just as we did in WW2.
If just one brave country would send a few brigades of ground troops, that might shame others into acting.
Surely if Ukraine throws everything they have into this struggle against devilry, that counts in their favour and puts pressure on the “allies” to finally provide everything needed?
One one hand, you’re right, Mr. Ofp, but on the other, fresh troops are a military necessity. And Zaluzhny wouldn’t be doing his job if he ignored that. So, Zelensky needs to face the uncomfortable truth and do what’s necessary. Concerns about popularity shouldn’t stand in the way.
I think Zaluzny is the real responsible man, Zelensky remains a clown.
^bert
I mean that the public bickering must stop. This sort of discussion must remain behind closed doors, and not for the entire planet to witness, especially the trash country waging war against Ukraine.
It’s not a good look, sure, but what shall Zaluzhny do when Zelensky kicks the can down the road instead of making uncomfortable but necessary decisions? The troops are exhausted, shall he wait until they break down before making his call for reinforcements public? He sure had been begging the president for this for months. This seems to me that Zelensky has lost his nerves and is engaging in wishful thinking now, instead of doing what’s necessary.
I’m not saying that Zaluzhny should sit around with his thumbs up his ass. Both should refrain from going public with this. That’s my point.