Political shadows over military leadership: Zaluzhnyi out, Syrskyi in the spotlight
Read NV on Google
The reasons behind Valerii Zaluzhnyi's dismissal as the Commander-in-Chief have not been clearly explained to the public, said political expert Ihor Reiterovych in Radio NV intervew on Feb. 9.
From an informational standpoint, President of Ukraine Zelenskyy managed to soften the blow, according to Reiterovych. Technologically, everything was handled correctly. There was a deliberate delay, giving society time to breathe during the two weeks of uncertainty over whether the dismissal would happen. The dismissal was presented as positively as possible through social media posts, public graitude, and many other gestures. The Presidential Office accomplished its task in a way that did not spark overt widespread outrage.
However, reading the comments of Ukrainians, especially on the President's official page, it seems there were few positive remarks. Most were critical.
The key issue surrounding this dismissal remains yet unresolved. The public still lacks adequate explanations for why it happened. To my knowledge, there was a closed meeting between the President and journalists where he discussed the reasons for the dismissal. Ideally, these reasons should have been communicated to the citizens. The explanations given by some representatives of the Presidential Office, with all due respect, fail to stand up to scrutiny, as no military reasons were provided. In the minds of perhaps 90% of Ukrainians, maybe even more, this dismissal is seen as blatantly political.
And that's a problem. Why? Because it will now directly affect the new Commander-in-Chief [Lieutenant General Oleksandr Syrskyi]. Unfortunately, he finds himself somewhat a hostage to the situation. Whatever decisions he makes or steps he takes, they will primarily be viewed through the lens of this appointment and the circumstances under which it occurred.
This is perhaps his biggest challenge. I won't comment from a military standpoint, as that is the domain of military experts and the military. Clearly, he's well-informed and has been involved in planning and conducting many operations, including under the former commander. So, professionally, there shouldn't be any major concerns.
He certainly needs time to grasp the full scope of the situation. Until now, he operated at a somewhat different level. But this dependency, to a certain extent, in the media portrayal of his appointment and its circumstances will, unfortunately, play cruel tricks on him repeatedly.
How much the Presidential Office understood these risks is hard to say. They probably believe they managed to navigate through with minimal damage. They hope this issue won't come back to haunt them directly. But I must disappoint them: it will now regularly impact, and any steps and decisions will be associated not so much with [Syrskyi] as with the Supreme Commander himself, Reiterovych concludes.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
