General Oleksandr Syrskyi (left) with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Photo: ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for reforms aimed at reducing bureaucracy in the Armed Forces. He said this during a conversation with journalists at the Third International Food Security Conference Grain from Ukraine, which took place on Saturday, 23 November.
Is the enclosure system the solution?
The President supported the idea of introducing a corps system of command if it can reduce bureaucratic barriers in the army. “It is up to the military to decide. If the corps system that they are proposing today reduces the distance between the general and the soldier, if this bureaucracy is reduced, let them do what they can to reduce it,” Zelenskyy stressed.
Generals should be closer to soldiers
Zelenskyy stressed that the key goal of the reforms should be to reduce the distance between the army leadership and the military on the front line. “An officer must see a soldier. A general who has not been in a trench is not a general for me personally. Despite his experience. With all due respect. Today, the most difficult situation is on the front line, in the trench,” the Head of State said.
The role of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The President emphasised the role of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi in this process. “That is why Syrskyi is constantly at the front, constantly travelling. We communicate with him every day, twice a day. He has a morning and evening report. But it’s still not enough. Generals need to be in the trenches. That’s the way the war is. The morale of the military is the most important thing,” Zelensky said.
Direct communication with soldiers
The President emphasised the importance of not only strategic meetings at the headquarters, but also direct contact with the military on the frontline. “It is necessary not only to talk about problematic issues at the headquarters or in the command headquarters, but also to communicate directly with the soldiers,” he added.
Zelenskyy’s statements reflect his desire to strengthen the effectiveness of military management, provide moral support to soldiers, and increase the efficiency of decision-making in times of war.
