Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) and Chief of the General Staff Valery Zaluzhny (Photo: EPA).
Local media reported that Ukrainian President Zelensky and General Zaluzhny had disagreed as Ukraine's summer counteroffensive failed to make any breakthrough in breaking through Russian defenses.
The relationship appears to have escalated, to the point that Ukrainsk Pravda reported that Mr Zelensky now ignores the chief of the General Staff, instead consulting with other military commanders. This, according to Ukrainsk Pravda, prevents Mr Zaluzhny from effectively commanding the military.
The source said that Mr. Zelensky seemed to have secretly divided the Ukrainian army into two groups: the "good" group led by Army Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, and the "bad" group led by General Zaluzhny.
"This greatly demotivates the chief of staff and, most importantly, prevents him from commanding the entire army," the source said.
The source added that Mr. Zelensky had made several military decisions “for political purposes,” which further strained his relationship with General Zaluzhny. One such decision was the dismissal of military officers.
The rift between the head of government and the commander of the Ukrainian army became more apparent last month when Mr Zelensky publicly criticised Mr Zaluzhny for saying the war with Russia had reached a stalemate and that no breakthrough was imminent.
Mr Zaluzhny's comments angered Mr Zelensky as his administration tries to convince the West to continue providing aid as the conflict has dragged on for nearly two years.
President Zelensky also recently warned military leaders not to interfere in the country's politics . He was mainly referring to military generals who entered politics in the years after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. However, Zelensky specifically mentioned current commanders, including General Zaluzhny.
“With all due respect to General Zaluzhny and all the commanders on the battlefield, there is an absolute understanding of hierarchy and there is only one, and there cannot be two, three, four, five,” he said.
General Zaluzhny has shown no political ambitions. But his popularity has fueled speculation that he may be the only public figure who could challenge President Zelensky.
Volodymyr Fesenko, a political analyst in Kiev, even suggested that some in President Zelensky's team might view Mr. Zaluzhny as a political rival.
This has led to speculation that Mr. Zaluzhny may soon be dismissed or announce his resignation. However, observers say that if that scenario happens, it will not be beneficial for Mr. Zelensky.
"It seems that they want to blame General Zaluzhny for the problems at the front. However, given Zaluzhny's popularity both in the military and in society, his dismissal or resignation could have very ambiguous consequences, including weakening Zelensky's own position," analyst Fesenko told NBC.
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