Why Zelensky Had To Sack Top General After Days Of Protests In Ukraine

[00:00:00]We're at a critical moment in the war.

[00:00:01]The Ukrainian people understand it.

[00:00:04]Um they support Zelensky. Um they want him to make the decisions that they think is are our best uh for the country. They've made that clear.

[00:00:13]President Zelensky's listening to them.

[00:00:15]He's consulting.

[00:00:16]>> Now, Ukraine's top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, has been sacked by President Zelensky after the dismissal of a popular defense minister sparked days of protests. Syrskyi was previously in command of the defense of Kyiv and counteroffensives in the Kharkiv region, but he became a divisive figure after a public fallout with Mykhailo Fedorov, who is the former defense minister. I'm joined now by Bill Taylor, former US Ambassador to Ukraine and Chargé d'Affaires in Ukraine. Good evening to you, Bill.

[00:00:51]>> Good evening, Carol. How are you?

[00:00:52]>> Um very well. Delighted to have you with us. Um look, these names are probably not going to be too familiar to some of our listeners here in the UK, but um just tell us first of all then how significant you think it is that President Zelensky has sacked uh Oleksandr Syrskyi, uh who was essentially in charge of the military.

[00:01:17]>> He was. He was the senior general, Carol. Um has been since 2024. And as you reported uh uh in 2022, he was a real hero. He did a great job defending Kyiv when Russia invaded uh with big time. Of course, they invaded first in 2014, but in 2022, when the Russians invaded were almost taking Kyiv, almost taking the capital, uh General Syrskyi was uh was there to defend. And he defended well. Um he grew up. He He learned his trade, the military trade, in the Soviet Union. Um he had many of those ideas. Um now it's time, it seems, uh President Zelensky has figured that it is time for a new generation of generals and he's chosen one.

[00:02:02]>> And do you think that there is going to be a further backlash against this because of course we've already seen that another senior commander, Mykhailo Fedorov, a former defense minister, he was sacked and we saw I mean the first that I can recall since the start of the war, demonstrations on the streets of Ukraine. How do these two things fit together, do you think, Bill?

[00:02:35]>> Well, they do, Carol. They they do fit together.

[00:02:38]Mykhailo Fedorov, a young 35-year-old whiz kid, brilliant brilliant. I met him in 2019 when he was the minister of innovation.

[00:02:50]He and and during the war when the war came in 2022, the big war. Again, they invaded earlier, but in 2022 when they invaded when the Russians invaded big time, Fedorov was >> [snorts] >> even at his ministry of technical innovation, he was there driving drones and driving the the technical derision, the exportation of the of the of the drones. So, he was he was there all along and then was made defense minister 6 months ago. And was by all accounts doing a great job.

[00:03:24]Again, there was this clash of probably generations but also of outlook of background where Fedorov, >> [clears throat] >> young man, focused on technology, making good progress, making great progress on drones against the Russians. Syrsky, old school, tended to be tended to push soldiers into the fight maybe longer earlier longer deeper than than they should have than he should have. So, again, time for a change, uh, but those two are related. The Defense Minister is the senior civilian, um, and, uh, the senior general, uh, works for the civilian, um, and is also close to the president.

[00:04:05]>> I mean, we've seen, haven't we, how significant the development of the drone technology, the unmanned, uh, weapons, and so on, has been in helping Ukraine to turn the tide against Russia. Um, I mean, it still seems, uh, an extraordinary decision by President Zelenskyy to sack him. Uh, and of course, it seems that many ordinary Ukrainians thought that.

[00:04:32]>> Ordinary Ukrainians have gone to the street again. Um, the Ukrainian people, um, this is, Carol, this is really direct democracy. Um, a year ago, almost exactly a year ago, President Zelenskyy made another controversial and probably incorrect decision to try to take take away the independence of two anti-corruption agencies. And the Ukrainian people weren't having it. They came to the streets, even in the middle of a war.

[00:04:56]They came in the streets to protest, and President Zelenskyy listened. And he turned around, made a change, uh, reversed course, um, and restored the independence of these two anti-corruption. And that's seems to be what's going on now. Um, when when, uh, President Zelenskyy dismissed Federov, uh, this young whiz kid driver of the Ministry of Defense, um, the people came to the street, uh, and they they they demonstrated their support for the Ukrainian military under the leadership of Federov, and they wanted to see him continue. President Zelenskyy clearly listened, uh, because the other thing that these protests were focused on was General Syrsky. Um, General Syrsky, again, old school, uh, Federov, uh, the new generation. They didn't get along.

[00:05:43]Uh, President Zelenskyy had the, uh, had to choose to to to resolve that conflict, um, he initially chose to go with the general, General Sursky, uh, but that brought people to the streets and President Zelenskyy is listening.

[00:05:57]Um, he is General General Zelenskyy is now uh, General uh, Sursky is now out, um, and Zelenskyy is considering who's going to be the defense minister.

[00:06:06]>> Um, so, how serious do you think this is for President Zelenskyy? Because, I mean, he's just seen as such a heroic figure in in much of the West. But, as you say, um, quite a serious revolt here. How serious do you think this is for the Ukrainian president when we are at such a critical moment in the war?

[00:06:27]>> We're at a critical moment in the war.

[00:06:28]The Ukrainian people understand it. Um, they support Zelenskyy. Um, they want him to make the decisions that they think is are are best uh, for the country. They've made that clear.

[00:06:40]President Zelenskyy is listening to them. He's consulting. Uh, Zelenskyy is listening to his other generals. He listened to General Sursky. Um, he's and and he made his decision. Um, he reversed the decision to uh, to go uh, with Federov. Um, and so, he's trying to get Federov back in the government. Um, I think I think President Zelenskyy is going to continue to lead Ukraine.

[00:07:05]Um, he's listening to the people. Um, he's assembling a very good military now, um, under this new commander, uh, Drapati. Um, has great reputation. So, that can that can work in Ukraine's favor.

[00:07:17]>> So, is the prospect now that he he could bring back Federov as a a further move to try and um, assuage public opinion?

[00:07:27]>> I think uh, President Zelenskyy would like to do that, Carol.

[00:07:31]Um, I think he would like to have uh, Federov in the government. Uh, Federov is willing to come back in as defense minister. It's not yet clear what uh, if Zelenskyy will allow Federov to come back in as defense minister? But I think there is room for agreement. There's there is going to be an agreement here one way or the other that's going to get that team together. Again, uh the new general um is very well regarded. Uh Federov is very well regarded. Get him back in the government and I think Zelensky will be able to move forward.

[00:08:02]>> Uh is any of this having a significant effect on the conduct of the war?

[00:08:08]Because I mean we have seen um Russians um uh Ukrainian drones hitting Russian cities including Moscow.

[00:08:17]>> Exactly. That's a very good point. Um this has not affected the long-range drone strikes um that the Ukrainians have used so effectively to go after military targets deep into Russia. They were doing that under the previous They were doing that 2 weeks ago. They're doing it now. And they'll do it tomorrow. This is not having an effect on that overall strategy which has been very effective um and and demonstrating to the Russians that they're not winning. Uh trying to get the message to President Putin he cannot win and that strategy continues.

[00:08:50]>> Uh it's been fascinating to get your insight. Bill Taylor, former US Ambassador to Ukraine and Chargé d'Affaires for Ukraine. Great to speak to you. Thank you so much for joining us tonight.

[00:09:03]>> Thank you, Carol.