President Zelensky fires head of National Security and Defense Council
(Baonghean.vn)- Ukrainian President Zelensky dismissed the head of the National Security and Defense Council (SNBO), Mr. Aleksey Danilov, on March 26. The security chief is known to use aggressive words.
The relevant decree was published on the official website of the Ukrainian president but did not give reasons for the decision.
Aleksandr Litvinenko has been appointed as the new secretary of the SNBO. He has been at the helm of Ukraine's foreign intelligence service since July 2021 and previously served as deputy secretary of the SNBO.
Danilov has been known for his harsh rhetoric during his tenure. In late 2023, he stressed that all Ukrainians must “grow up” and fight, commenting on Kiev’s recruitment woes. At the time, he also asserted that Ukraine’s planned mobilization would not last a day or a month, and that the entire process could take at least a year.
Danilov also criticized the messaging app Telegram as “dangerous and vulnerable.” The app is said to provide a platform for those seeking to influence Ukrainian society, he said in November, and said he was ready to ban it altogether.
The former SNBO secretary has also been critical of Kiev’s Western backers. In December, he said NATO’s war textbooks should be “shelved” because none of them could prepare soldiers for the war in Ukraine. He has also repeatedly called for more weapons to be supplied to Kiev, warning that any defeat suffered by Ukrainian forces would damage the West’s “image, power and unity”.
In February 2024, Danilov demanded that the EU hand over all its heavy weapons to Ukraine, adding that the bloc itself would not need them in future conflicts anyway.
