Zelensky confirms he may dismiss military chief

President Volodymyr Zelensky (centre) with Ukrainian servicemen in the Zaporizhzhia region. Pic/AP

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was weighing a possible dismissal of the country's top military officer, a prospect that has shocked the nation fighting Russia's invasion and worried Kyiv's Western allies.

Asked whether he was considering the ouster of Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zelensky told Italian RAI TV in an interview released late Sunday that he was thinking about it as part of a broader issue of setting the country's path. He said that "a reset, a new beginning is necessary," and it's "not about a single person but about the direction of the country's leadership".

"I'm thinking about this replacement, but you can't say here we replaced a single person," Zelensky said. "When we talk about this, I mean a replacement of a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military. If we want to win we must all push in the same direction, convinced of victory, we cannot be discouraged, let our arms fall, we must have the right positive energy."

Zelenskyy's comments marked his first confirmation that he was mulling to fire the widely popular general, a possibility that caused an uproar in Ukraine and delighted the Kremlin.

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