The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has approved the candidacy of former military chief Valery Zaluzhny for ambassador to Great Britain, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has sent a request to the British side for consent," the ministry said, as reported by Reuters.
Zaluzhnyi, considered a national hero by many Ukrainians for leading Ukraine's war effort during a full-scale Russian invasion, was removed in February.
Zelenski fired Zalužnji after months of speculation about a rift between the two. He was replaced by Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Sirski, who is considered close to the president.
Ukraine has not had an ambassador to Britain since Zelenskiy fired former envoy Vadim Prystaik in July 2023 after he publicly criticized the president.
British Defense Minister Grant Shapps visited Kyiv today, Zelensky announced on the X social network.
"The main topic of the conversation was the strengthening of Ukraine's air defense and long-range capabilities, as well as meeting other urgent needs for weapons and ammunition and the development of joint production of weapons," Zelensky said.
Reuters reported that Zalužnji was not in the photos published by the president.
Tensions between Zaluzhnyi and Zelenskyi emerged in November after the commander-in-chief published a comment in the British newspaper "The Economist", saying that the war had reached a stalemate and that only technological progress would allow Ukraine to achieve its goals of liberating the occupied territory.
Zelenski's cabinet rejected that assessment of the situation on the battlefield.
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