Zelenskyy fires top general; Putin speaks on possible release of Wall Street Journal reporter

IN A MAJOR SHAKEUP ON THURSDAY – UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY FIRED HIS TOP GENERAL AFTER NEARLY TWO YEARS OF THE COUNTRY’S WAR WITH RUSSIA.

IN A POST ON X – ZELENKSYY THANKED THE OUTGOING GENERAL FOR HIS SERVICE BUT SAID “THE TIME FOR A RENEWAL IS NOW.”

ZELENSKYY HAS APPOINTED THE COMMANDER OF UKRAINE’S GROUND FORCES TO BE THE NEW LEADER OF THE ARMY.

THE CHANGE CAME AS THE SENATE VOTED TO ADVANCE A STANDALONE 95 BILLION DOLLAR NATIONAL SECURITY BILL FOR ADDITIONAL AID TO UKRAINE, ISRAEL AND OTHER U.S. ALLIES.

MEANWHILE – FORMER FOX NEWS HOST TUCKER CARLSON POSTED HIS INTERVIEW WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN TO HIS WEBSITE AND X.

THE INTERVIEW – LASTING MORE THAN TWO HOURS – WAS PUTIN’S FIRST WITH WESTERN MEDIA SINCE THE START OF THE WAR.

DURING THE INTERVIEW — PUTIN SAID RUSSIA WOULD BE OPEN TO A PRISONER EXCHANGE WHICH WOULD SEE THE RELEASE OF WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER EVAN GERKSHKOVICH WHO HAS BEEN DETAINED SINCE MARCH 2023.

PUTIN REPEATED RUSSIA’S CLAIMS THAT GERKSHKOVICH WAS GUILTY OF ESPIONAGE —

SAYING THE REPORTER WAS “CAUGHT RED HANDED.”

ALLEGATIONS – THE REPORTER, THE NEWSPAPER AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT DENY.

IN A STATEMENT – THE WALL STREET JOURNAL SAID IT WAS ENCOURAGED TO SEE RUSSIA’S DESIRE FOR A DEAL – ADDING:

“EVAN IS A JOURNALIST, AND JOURNALISM IS NOT A CRIME.  ANY PORTRAYAL TO THE CONTRARY IS TOTAL FICTION. EVAN WAS UNJUSTLY ARRESTED AND HAS BEEN WRONGFULLY DETAINED BY RUSSIA FOR NEARLY A YEAR FOR DOING HIS JOB, AND WE CONTINUE TO DEMAND HIS IMMEDIATE RELEASE.”