Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved the candidacy of former army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi as ambassador to Great Britain, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced in a statement on Thursday.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has sent a request to the British side for agreement,” the Foreign Ministry stated.
Zaluzhnyi, widely regarded as a national hero for his leadership during Ukraine’s war effort throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion, was dismissed from his position as commander by Zelenskyy in February.
The head of state explained that immediate changes were needed in the army. Speculation about his resignation had been circulating for several weeks. According to some sources, Zelenskyy was concerned about Zaluzhnyi’s political ambitions.
He was replaced by General Oleksandr Syrski as the new commander-in-chief.
Zelenskyy also dismissed Kyiv’s former envoy to Britain, Vadym Prystaiko, in July 2023 after he publicly criticized the president. Ukraine has been without an ambassador to Britain since then.
British Defense Secretary visits Kyiv
Also on Thursday, Zelenskyy announced on social media platform X that the British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps visited Kyiv.
“Our primary focus was on bolstering Ukraine’s air defense and long-range capabilities, as well as addressing other urgent needs for weapons, ammunition, and joint weapon production,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Zaluzhnyi, widely regarded as a national hero for his leadership during Ukraine’s war effort throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion, was dismissed from his position as commander by Zelenskyy in February.
The head of state explained that immediate changes were needed in the army. Speculation about his resignation had been circulating for several weeks. According to some sources, Zelenskyy was concerned about Zaluzhnyi’s political ambitions.
He was replaced by General Oleksandr Syrski as the new commander-in-chief.
Zelenskyy also dismissed Kyiv’s former envoy to Britain, Vadym Prystaiko, in July 2023 after he publicly criticized the president. Ukraine has been without an ambassador to Britain since then.
British Defense Secretary visits Kyiv
Also on Thursday, Zelenskyy announced on social media platform X that the British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps visited Kyiv.
“Our primary focus was on bolstering Ukraine’s air defense and long-range capabilities, as well as addressing other urgent needs for weapons, ammunition, and joint weapon production,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Zaluzhnyi was not visible in the images of the meeting shared by the president.Today, I hosted the UK Secretary of State for Defense @grantshapps to discuss continued defense cooperation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 7, 2024
Our primary focus was on bolstering Ukraine's air defense and long-range capabilities, as well as meeting other urgent needs for… pic.twitter.com/vBO253sSY3
Source: PAP, Reuters
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