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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday appointed Valery Zaluzny as his new ambassador to Britain, precisely a month after ousting the nation's prime basic amid tensions between the navy and civilian management.
“Common. “Valery Zaluzny advised me that is the path he wish to take – diplomacy,” Mr Zelenskyy mentioned in a video assertion, including that Ukraine's “alliance with Britain ought to be additional strengthened” with the appointment.
Mr Zelensky made the announcement the day British Protection Secretary Grant Shapps visited Kiev. Mr Shapps mentioned his nation would provide greater than 10,000 drones to the Ukrainian navy as a part of an current navy assist package deal, which is able to obtain further funding totaling about $415 million.
Questions have been raised concerning the destiny of Common Zaluzny after he was faraway from his function final month. His dismissal was seen as the results of Mr Zelensky's frustration over the failure of the Ukrainian counter-offensive final summer time, however presumably additionally as a result of his concern that the final, a very fashionable determine in Ukraine, may develop into a political rival sooner or later. .
Common Zaluzny was changed by Common Oleksandr Sirsky, who was then head of Ukraine's floor forces. Since then the brand new commander-in-chief has needed to oversee the Ukrainian withdrawal from the strategic city of Avdiivka within the east and face repeated Russian assaults alongside the greater than 600-mile-long entrance.
Common Zaluzny has been nicknamed the Iron Common for his decisive management of the nation's navy throughout probably the most difficult instances, together with the protection of the capital Kiev within the first weeks of the struggle.
He then designed and led a long-expected counteroffensive within the south final yr. However this push failed to interrupt the formidable Russian defensive traces, and Ukrainian troops superior only some miles. Common Zaluzny provided a candid evaluation of the preventing in November, noting that it had reached a stalemate.
Common Zaluzny retained a excessive stage of assist even after the counteroffensive failed. In the meantime, Mr. Zelensky's rankings started to fall, main some in Ukraine to think about him a political rival.
Though Common Zaluzny has by no means publicly expressed his need to enter politics, political analysts interpreted his new appointment on Thursday as a attainable transfer by Mr Zelensky to distance him from home affairs.
“It is a political transfer,” mentioned Ukrainian political analyst Mykola Davidyuk. “For Zelensky, the motivation is to dam him within the media, that he disappear from right here, that he’s now not energetic.”
It’s unknown when Common Zaluzny will assume his new submit as Ambassador, and he made no instant public touch upon his new appointment.