On March 7, the head of state, Volodymyr Zelensky, officially approved Valerii Zaluzhny's candidacy for the position of Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom.
What is known about Zelenskyy's decision regarding Zaluzhnyi
On Thursday, Mar. 7, 2024, the President of Ukraine approved the candidacy of Valerii Zaluzhny for the post of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine sent a corresponding request for an agrément from the British side, the statement of Ukraine's MFA press service says.
Ukraine has not had an ambassador to Britain since President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Vadym Prystayko from this post on July 21, 2023. He has been the ambassador to the UK since July 2020.
There were rumours that Oleksiy Reznikov, the former head of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, could become the ambassador, but this did not happen.
Zelenskyy has already offered Zaluzhnyi the Ambassador post
Subsequently, Ukrainian journalists, citing their insiders, claimed that before the dismissal of Valerii Zaluzhnyi on Feb. 8, Zelenskyy offered him, among other things, the position of Ambassador to UK. General Zaluzhnyi refused to be transferred to a civilian position during the war.
On Feb. 8, the head of state officially announced that Valerii Zaluzhnyi was leaving the post of AFU Commander-in-chief.
The AFU Ground Forces Commander, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, succeeded him.
Anonymous sources from Valerii Zaluzhny's entourage told journalists that after his resignation, the ex-AFU Commander-in-Chief intended to take care of his health and possibly start teaching.
