Following the resignation of Valeriy Zaluzhny as the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Washington reaffirmed its commitment to assist Kyiv. A spokesperson for the Pentagon, Patrick Ryder, conveyed this during a standard briefing for reporters, noting that U.S. support remains steady despite leadership changes in Ukraine. The remarks were reported by news agencies including TASS.
Ryder added that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has not yet spoken with General Alexander Syrsky, the newly appointed commander. He stressed that personnel matters are Ukraine’s internal business, but the U.S. stance on security aid and cooperation has not shifted.
President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed viewers in a video posted on his Telegram channel, outlining expectations for Ukraine’s new top commander and the broader requirements facing the country’s defense forces. He highlighted that Ukraine’s armed forces now number close to one million personnel, suggesting that the country may need to adjust mobilization, rotational duty, and front-line management to match this scale. The remarks signal a potential rethinking of how force generation and maintenance are organized at the strategic and operational levels.
Valery Zaluzhny’s removal from the commander-in-chief post occurred on February 8, with General Alexander Syrsky appointed to replace him. Syrsky, born in the Vladimir region, relocated to Ukraine in the 1980s and previously led the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces before ascending to the top command. Since the start of the year, Syrsky has been widely talked about as a leading candidate for the role amid speculation about Zaluzhny’s departure, underscoring the transition as a carefully considered shift in Ukraine’s military leadership.
Earlier discussions between the United States and Ukraine focused on security guarantees for Kyiv, reflecting a broader effort to solidify support structures alongside the personnel and command changes taking place within Ukraine’s military leadership. These conversations form part of a larger framework of cooperation aimed at sustaining Ukraine’s defense posture in the face of ongoing security challenges. [citation: official briefings and press summaries]