Is Zaluzhnyi really resigning as ambassador and where did the rumors come from?

Ukraine's information space exploded with rumors of a return Valery Zaluzhny to Ukraine. The President's Office calls this a fabrication, and Zaluzhnyi himself assures us that he is still in London.However, both officers and diplomats say LIGA.net the rumors appeared long before they hit the media. We explain what is happening."Sources know everything". January deadline for ZaluzhnyiOn the morning of December 29, the news that Zaluzhnyi was planning to return to Ukraine sparked a wave of discussion.Radio NV citing four sources in diplomatic circles, reported that Zaluzhny could leave the post of ambassador as early as January 4-5. Allegedly, during a recent visit to Kyiv, the former head of state personally discussed this with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing his desire to change his occupation.The publication's sources even outlined a range of possible proposals: from the prime minister's chair to the head of the Presidential Office. According to their information, the options of returning to the post of chief of the Armed Forces or being appointed US ambassador were also considered.Ambassador's media adviser Oksana Torop commented for LIGA.net was categorical:"As usual, unnamed sources know everything about Zaluzhny and his plans. But nothing has changed. He continues to defend Ukraine's interests as ambassador to the UK."All key Ukrainian media outlets received a similar message.The Presidential Office refused to comment on this topic: "We don't comment on rumors and fake news. Especially not about Mr. General."Most interlocutors in the military and among diplomats refuse to speak openly about Zaluzhnyi. However, three officers of the Defense Forces and two interlocutors in diplomatic circles confirm LIGA.net rumors about the general's return have indeed recently become more active. And, at least in the army, some officers would like this very much.Will the old commander-in-chief be returned: why everyone is excited about the rumor about Zaluzhny?One of the reasons why many in the military reacted to the information about Zaluzhny's return was another rumor. It was that Oleksandr Syrskyi may soon leave the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.Information about the upcoming personnel change LIGA.net in December was repeatedly reported by interlocutors among MPs and the Ministry of Defense.Despite the fact that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during meetings with journalists, he said directly that he was satisfied with Syrskyi's work and did not plan any changes.The Syrskyi himself during a meeting with the heads of editorial offices, which was attended by LIGA.net commenting on rumors of his possible resignation, said that he had long been used to them. He said that he had been working under the pressure of these rumors since his appointment.And it is impossible to return Zaluzhnyi to the post of chief of staff – before he started his work as ambassador in July 2014, he passed a military qualification commission that found the general unfit for military service and removed him from the register."To become a commander-in-chief, Zaluzhnyi needs to mobilize again, but he was declared unfit," says LIGA.net "Of course, everything can happen in our country. But his appointment is extremely unlikely. Besides, it is unlikely that Zaluzhnyi himself needs it: it is always a political disadvantage to take the same position for the second time."However, the concentration of rumors and information campaigns around Ukrainian top officers is really high right now, says another source LIGA.net in the General Staff.Information campaigns that try to oppose the Commander of the Joint Forces in Syria, Mykhailo Drapaty, or the Chief of the General Staff Andrey Gnatov, he lists rumors of possible resignations of commanders. All this creates a favorable ground for scaling up rumors of various kinds.Among the reasons for the appearance of the "fake news" about Zaluzhny's return, the interlocutors LIGA.net two were most often voiced.First, this news was a reaction to rumors about a vacation the general allegedly took in the Dominican Republic."It's a kind of information warfare: if there is a story about the Dominican Republic, we need to respond with something, because an information campaign has begun," says one of the interlocutors involved in the GS.The second reason is a false start or an attempt to derail the general's political ambitions.A source in the Foreign Ministry ironically notes that they are now trying to take Zaluzhnyi down the same path as the former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba. He was "dismissed" at least six times during the year before it actually happened.Is Zaluzhny really in his place now?For now, Zaluzhnyi remains in London. Diplomatic tradition stipulates that ambassadors are rotated 3-4 years after the LIGA.net chairman of the Parliamentary Committee (SN) on foreign policy, Oleksandr Merezhko. Zaluzhnyi, on the other hand, has been in office for only a year and a half.Although from a legal point of view, there are no obstacles to his dismissal – ambassadors are subject to the Labor Code.We don't have slavery. You just need to write an application and in two weeks you are free," explains Merezhko. "There are different reasons for this: health, exhaustion, or just unwillingness to work.He emphasizes that the UK is now a key military hub for Ukraine. As a top-level military officer, Zaluzhnyi enjoys unquestionable respect in London. Changing the ambassador at such a critical time, when the UK is preparing new aid packages, could be perceived by partners as a signal of instability within the Ukrainian power vertical.One of the British observers, who regularly communicates with representatives of the defense sector, in a conversation with LIGA.net confirms: Zaluzhnyi has indeed been successful in communicating with the British defense industry, but his figure remains too big for the formal diplomatic framework.In London, despite the general sympathy for the "Iron General," they note that Zaluzhnyi has effectively become a "silent ambassador." Since his appointment, he has not given a single major interview to the local press, which is a problem for a diplomat in a key partner country.One of the reasons is the language barrier. Although the general's English has improved, he is still not fluent, which prevents him from being the "face of Ukraine" on British TV. At his speeches at Chatham House, Zaluzhnyi still prefers to speak in Ukrainian through translators. In addition, journalists speculate that he avoids the media in order to avoid answering uncomfortable questions about his relationship with Bankova Street and the reasons for his dismissal from the Armed Forces.He looks like a man who feels more comfortable in a uniform than in an expensive suit. He has talent and intelligence, but now he just can't use them to their fullest. It seems that he is dissatisfied with this role – he is simply out of place," the British journalist said.However, Merezhko denies this opinion: Britain is an important country from a military point of view. "That's why Zaluzhny can be quite in his place as a military officer," he concludes.Read alsoScandal in the White House. Why Trump has the "character of an alcoholic" and Putin "wants all of Ukraine"