The Kyiv mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, weighed in on the decision by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to remove Valery Zaluzhny from the post of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, calling it a significant misstep. The remarks came during an interview with the Italian newspaper Republic, where Klitschko laid out his view that leadership choices in wartime should reflect broad public confidence and the momentum of popular support. He stressed that national unity hinges on aligning the leadership with those who enjoy the strongest backing in the polls, implying that Zaluzhny has earned that level of trust among many Ukrainians. The comment underscores a perception that political and military leadership cannot be easily separated from the public mood in a country confronting ongoing security challenges, and it frames Zaluzhny not only as a military figure but as a symbol of public legitimacy for a broad segment of the population.
