Recently, a political storm broke out in Ukraine, and a former government official claimed that President Volodymyr Zelensky planned to liquidate the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Zaluzhne. The source revealed that Zelensky made this move because Zaluzhne's popularity in the country gradually surpassed him, which worries and jealousy. Although this revelation has yet to be verified, the infighting between Zelensky and Zaluzhny is an indisputable fact.
It is worth mentioning that Zaluzhny was once Zelensky's candidate for promotion, and the current dispute between the two is mainly focused on the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield, especially in the Bakhmut region. Specifically, their differences focused on whether to stick to Bakhmut, highlighting their differing views. Zaluzhne, a military expert who advocated retaining military strength and retreating, believed that the Ukrainian army stationed by Soledar was out of control. However, Zelensky disagrees, arguing that it is necessary to hold on to Bakhmut. In the end, due to Zelensky's position, his opinion was adopted, and Zaluzhne's proposal for the withdrawal of troops was rejected.
Afterwards, Zaluzhne publicly stated that allowing people who do not understand military affairs to direct the war situation will only lead to more casualties, and he believes that Zelensky's insistence is contrary to the laws of war. From his rhetoric, he emphasized that war requires flexibility, not rigidity. Nevertheless, Zelensky has always respected Zaluzhne's military views, after all, in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Zaluzhny led the Ukrainian army to some victories. But why does Zelensky insist on holding Bakhmut? What's the reason behind this?
Discord between generals and marshal is a taboo in war, and Zelensky knows this well. Behind Bakhmut is actually NATO's battlefield assessment of Zelensky, which can be traced back to the confrontation between the United States and the West and Russia. Ukraine and the West reached a consensus to hold Bakhmut in exchange for Western military aid. When Zelensky visited the United States last year, he made it clear that Ukraine would defend Bakhmut. Now, if Bakhmut loses, Zelensky will find it difficult to cope with political and public opinion pressure from the United States and the West. The implication is that the promise has not been fulfilled, the momentum has been made, and the result has not been as expected, which will become an embarrassment for him. Zelensky must have understood this.
However, from another point of view, Bakhmut's persistence became a reason for Zelensky to seek military assistance from the United States and the West. Ukraine has paid a huge price for the West, and the West should not stop at verbal support, in fact, they have not been idle and provided Ukraine with multiple rounds of military assistance. From a strategic point of view, Zelensky's decision is not a misstep. After all, Ukraine is weak in the face of Russia and can only rely on external assistance. If aid is to be given, a resilient, difficult, costly battlefield must be created, and Bakhmut is this battleground.
In the end, Zelensky's decision represents the will of Ukraine, and Bakhmut's defense line still holds, which also represents the voice of the West. This is a real proxy war, and Bakhmut's example amply illustrates the real operation behind this war.
In short, the situation in Ukraine is confusing, and Zelensky's struggle with Zaluzhny is just one of them. The complex game behind the war and the influence of international politics have made Ukraine's choice full of challenges and opportunities. And how Ukraine will move into the future, and how the chess game on the international stage will change, is worth thinking deeply about.
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