Ukraine’s former commander-in-chief appointed ambassador to UK
Al Jazeera
Zaluzhnyi, known as the ‘Iron General’, had seen his once sky-high popularity falter after a failed counteroffensive.
Ukraine has named Valerii Zaluzhnyi its new envoy to the United Kingdom a month after he was removed from his position as the country’s military commander-in-chief.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine sent a request to the British side for an agreement,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
Ukraine has not had an ambassador in the UK since President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed former envoy Vadym Prystaiko in July 2023 after he publicly criticised the leader.
Zaluzhnyi had led the Ukrainian army since the start of the war against Russia, pushing back a vastly more powerful invading force in the first months of the conflict.
Dubbed the “Iron General” by Ukrainian media, Zaluzhnyi came to symbolise the country’s resistance and enjoyed sky-high approval ratings among the public.
