Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday confirmed that there will be shakeup in the country's military. Zelenskyy said that he is seeking to replace the country's most senior military commander, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Amid the ongoing war with Russia, the change at the military helm has shocked the nation.
Zaluzhnyi, is a popular commander and has led the military before the war with Russia. He is credited with stalling Russia's full-scale invasion in the early days of the war as well.
While speaking to an Italian outlet Rai News, Zelenskyy said "A reset, a new beginning is necessary."
The review is "not about a single person but about the direction of the country's leadership, he added in the interview. "I'm thinking about this replacement, but you can't say here we replaced a single person," Zelenskyy said.
"When we talk about this, I mean a replacement of a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military. If we want to win, we must all push in the same direction, convinced of victory. We cannot be discouraged, let our arms fall. We must have the right positive energy," he said.
Reportedly, Zelenskyy had asked Zaluzhnyi to resign last week but the general refused to step down.
Tensions between the president and the top commander has been going on for few months over plans of further mobilisation. Zelenskyy said at the end of last year that he had turned down the military's request to marshal up to 500,000 people.
Zaluzhnyi's dismissal could fuel uncertainty among Western allies as well. With Russian forces pressing in the frontline, Ukriane desparately requires Western military assistance.
