He resigned from military service in February after being placed at the disposal of the Defense Minister, but neither Defense Minister Rustem Umerov nor President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered him a suitable military position commensurate with his level of training and experience.
Under these circumstances, General Zaluzhnyi decided to resign from military service in order to have the opportunity and right to pursue other activities.
It is unclear whether Umerov signed the resignation after the President announced his intention to appoint Zaluzhnyi as ambassador to London.
The several-week delay in resolving the issue was due to changes in the regulatory framework, including Presidential decrees, following the adoption of a law establishing a new list of military ranks.
Read also: Zaluzhnyi to become Ukraine's ambassador to UK
"Therefore, it was not legally clear who should dismiss Zaluzhnyi, with the rank of general, from military service – by order of the Defense Minister or by Presidential decree, as previously generals of the Ukrainian army have been dismissed," the publication explained.
According to current legislation, after two months of being at the disposal of the Minister, financial support, excluding salary, is stopped. It was UAH 1,762 ($46) per month for General Zaluzhnyi, who holds the highest military rank
On Feb. 8, Zelenskyy announced that Zaluzhnyi was stepping down as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to be succeeded by the Commander of the Ground Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The President made the announcement following a week of speculation about Zaluzhnyi’s resignation and reports of a rift with the Commander-in-Chief, which resurfaced in November 2023 after two prominent articles published in Time and The Economist, as well as subsequent events.
In the run-up to Zaluzhnyi’s resignation, Ukrainian journalists reported that the general was offered to serve as Ambassador to the UK, but at the time he declined in favor of remaining in the Ukrainian military.
On March 7, Zelenskyy appointed Zaluzhnyi as Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Read also: Zaluzhnyi steps down as Commander-in-Chief, replaced by Syrskyi
Kyiv has not had an ambassador to London since the summer of 2023, when Vadym Prystaiko was dismissed from his post.
We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Section: Nation
Author: Мария Озеран
