The Most Popular Man in Ukraine Has Become a Problem for Zelenskiy
The president has tried — and so far failed — to push out his commander-in-chief in a dispute over strategy and political insecurities
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General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi is a national hero for Ukrainians after repelling the first wave of Vladimir Putin’s invasion on the outskirts of Kyiv.
But two years into the war, setbacks on the battlefield and political jealousies in the capital have soured his relationship with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. This week, the president tried — and failed — to force out his commander-in-chief, pulling back the curtain on a damaging rift at the heart of the Ukraine war effort.