President Volodymyr Zelensky's alleged plan to dismiss Ukraine's commander-in-chief may be intended to help him justify further mobilization measures or strategic changes on the battlefield, but risks undermining national unity while doing little to aid Kyiv's greater war effort. On Jan. 29, Ukrainian and Western journalists reported, citing sources in Zelesnky's administration, that the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valery Zaluzhny, could be imminently relieved as a result of an impending military shakeup, and that Zelensky was already consulting with Western partners about a decree to this effect. Ukrainian President Zelesnky's spokesman Serhii Nikiforov quickly denied the information, but the story still sparked questions about the potential reasons for such a move and its implications, as polling data suggests Zaluzhny is the only figure in Ukraine more popular than Zelensky. The Financial Times confirmed the reports on Jan. 30, but said Zaluzhny ''may not be ousted for some time''...
