Zelenskyy approves former Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhnyi as Ukraine's ambassador to UK
Ukrainska PravdaMar 07
Ukraine: Former Military Chief Appointed Ambassador to UK
Image copyright: Yan Dobronosov/Contributor/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
The Facts
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, was appointed as the country's new ambassador to the UK on Thursday.
The role of British ambassador had been vacant since July 2023 after Zaluzhnyi's predecessor, Vadym Prystaiko, was sacked after publicly criticizing Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He had called out the Ukrainian leader for sarcastic remarks directed towards Britain's then-defense minister.
The Spin
Pro-Ukraine narrative
After a shake-up was needed in the military after two years of war, Zaluzhnyi indicated to the president that he wished to continue serving his country and that diplomacy was the path he wished to take. As Zaluzhnyi developed good relationships with UK partners in his time as military chief, he's the perfect candidate for this role.
Establishment-critical narrative
Zaluzhnyi enjoys higher approval ratings than Zelenskyy and was the only realistic candidate that could've replaced him if elections were to take place. This was likely a political move on the part of Zelenskyy to maintain his grip on power and get Zaluzhnyi out of the country.
Nerd narrative
There's a 69% chance that Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be re-elected president in the next Ukrainian elections, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
