Zaluzhnyi oversaw the 2023 counteroffensive that failed to retake significant quantities of Russian-occupied land.
However, he is still extremely popular with many Ukrainians after beating back Russian forces from Ukraine’s capital in early 2022 and masterminding two successful counter-offensives that autumn, which retook large amounts of territory.
“We had rather ambitious goals in 2023. I was not disappointed by the level of (foreign assistance) in 2023. Of course it was not the full (amount requested), but it allowed us to conduct confident military operations,” he said.
Tensions between Zaluzhnyi and Zelenskyy burst into the open in November after the general was quoted as saying the war was heading towards a stalemate because of the technological state of play on the battlefield, a comment that drew a rebuke from the president’s office.
Zelenskyy and his allies have consistently portrayed a less gloomy view of the war, in which they have said Ukraine can and will drive Russian forces out of every last inch of occupied territory.
Zaluzhnyi said the period since he made his comments had vindicated them: “I received lots of criticism for this, but in time people realised that I was absolutely right”.
He said that Ukraine and its allies had already identified solutions to the majority of the questions and problems he raised in his comments about the battlefield in November.
On the drafting effort, he said he would support the introduction of electronic army call-ups, a step that would replace or reinforce the current model in which draft officers hand out call-up papers to people in the street or at checkpoints.
“We are glad for any means which will secure our demand for people,” he said.
Source: CNA
