"The public has been heard": Zelenskyy's chief of staff promises "results" after president met with commanders
Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the President's Office, has said that "the public has been heard" and "there will be results" amid a series of meetings between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and military commanders. Sources are telling Ukrainska Pravda that the president is seeking a replacement for Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces.
Source: Budanov on social media; Ukrainska Pravda sources
Quote from Budanov: "The situation around the recent internal changes has provoked strong emotions. I understand the people expressing their position. Caring is a force that has kept our state going all these years.
The public has been heard... The work is underway. There will be results."
Details: Budanov asked people to "stay calm" and said, "discussion is a normal thing for a free country."
Quote from Budanov: "I urge everyone not to turn on one another. The enemy is watching each of our internal disputes closely, waiting for us to start fighting among ourselves. To our enemies, I say directly: you will not get what you want."
More details: Sources within the government are telling Ukrainska Pravda that Zelenskyy is looking for a candidate to replace Syrskyi.
Among the likely candidates are Oleh Apostol, Commander of the Air Assault Forces, Volodymyr Horbatiuk, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, and Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine's Armed Forces, although the final decision has yet to be made.
Previously: On 20 July, Zelenskyy held a series of meetings with senior military commanders, meeting some of them for the second time in a week.
On 20 July, he again had a meeting with Drapatyi, Horbatiuk and Andrii Biletskyi, Commander of the 3rd Army Corps.
Zelenskyy also met with Apostol, Ihor Obolenskyi, Commander of the National Guard's Khartiia Corps, and Denys Prokopenko, Commander of the National Guard's 1st Corps Azov.
Present at the meetings was Yevhen Khmara, whom Zelenskyy tasked with performing the duties of Ukraine's defence minister a few days ago.
Background:
- Concerned citizens in Kyiv are preparing for a new protest in support of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov and calling for the dismissal of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
- On 18 July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had spoken with Fedorov and Syrskyi. He promised that "decisions regarding the army will be worked out".
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