Ukraine ex-army chief Valery Zaluzhny appointed ambassador to Britain
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) presenting former army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi the Hero of Ukraine Gold Star during a ceremony in Kyiv.
PHOTO: REUTERS
KYIV – Ukraine on March 7 named General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi as its new envoy to Britain, a month after he was removed from his position as the country’s commander-in-chief.
The announcement came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.
“On March 7, 2024, the President of Ukraine approved the candidacy of Valery Zaluzhnyi for the post of extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Mr Zelensky praised the appointment of Gen Zaluzhnyi, saying “our alliance with Britain should only get stronger”.
“Zaluzhnyi told me that this is the direction he would like to take – diplomacy,” he added.
The popular general had led the Ukrainian army since the start of the war against Russia, pushing back a vastly more powerful invading force in the first months of the conflict.
Dubbed the “Iron General” by Ukrainian media, Gen Zaluzhnyi came to symbolise the country’s resistance and enjoyed sky-high approval ratings among the public.
But the failure of a much-vaunted counter-offensive last summer and public disagreement with Mr Zelensky tarnished his reputation in the President’s Office.
He was replaced by Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrsky, who commanded Ukraine’s lightning autumn 2022 counter-offensive in the north-eastern Kharkiv region. AFP
