Ukraine on Thursday named Valery Zaluzhny as its new envoy to the UK a month after he was removed from his position as the country’s commander-in-chief.
“On March 7, 2024, the President of Ukraine approved the candidacy of Valery Zaluzhny for the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United Kingdom,” the Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The popular general 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, Zaluzhny came to symbolise the country’s resistance and enjoyed sky-high approval ratings among the public.
But the failure of a much-vaunted counteroffensive last summer and public disagreement with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky tarnished his reputation in the president’s office.
He was replaced by Oleksandr Syrsky, who commanded Ukraine’s lightning autumn 2022 counter-offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
