Former Ukraine army chief reveals clash with Zelenskyy over war strategy

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s former army chief and current ambassador to the United Kingdom, has publicly detailed a deep rift with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion, in remarks that could reshape Ukraine’s political landscape.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Zaluzhnyi, 52, described escalating tensions with Zelenskyy beginning shortly after February 2022. While he declined to discuss presidential ambitions, citing the need to preserve unity during wartime, his comments are widely viewed as a signal of possible future political plans.

The relationship reached a dramatic moment in September 2022, Zaluzhnyi said, when dozens of agents from Ukraine’s domestic security service conducted a raid on his Kyiv office. “I will fight with you and have already called in reinforcements to the center of Kyiv for support,” he recalled warning Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak. “I told Yermak that I would repel this attack, because I know how to fight.”

Zaluzhnyi believes a court-approved search warrant targeting an alleged strip club at the address was a pretext, noting the club had closed before the invasion. He argued it was implausible that authorities confused the location with the country’s main war command center.

Strategic disagreements persisted, particularly over Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive. Zaluzhnyi said his NATO-backed plan to form a concentrated “single fist” aimed at severing Russia’s land corridor to Crimea was undermined when forces were dispersed. “Success required a large, concentrated buildup and tactical surprise,” he said. Two Western defense officials corroborated his account of the plan’s dilution.

Zelenskyy dismissed Zaluzhnyi in February 2024, appointing him ambassador to London — a move analysts interpreted as limiting a potential rival. Polls show Zaluzhnyi narrowly leading Zelenskyy in a hypothetical election, 23% to 20%, according to Ipsos.

Still, Zaluzhnyi insists: “Until the war is over or martial law ends, I am not discussing this and have done nothing toward that.”

He also revealed that a “fairly well known” American political consultant approached him in spring 2025. An aide identified the individual as Paul Manafort. “I thanked him for paying attention to me, but said that I did not need his services,” Zaluzhnyi said.

As US-backed peace efforts continue, the political rivalry between Ukraine’s wartime leaders may yet shape the country’s postwar future.

By Vafa Guliyeva