The country's army chief and commander-in-chief, Valery Zaluzhny, has rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call to step down.

Zelensky called on Valery to resign at a meeting on Monday. But this army chief who is popular in the country rejected his call. British media The Guardian reported this news.

However, Zelensky could fire Valery for refusing calls to resign.

Oleksiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian opposition MP and known ally of the general, said he understood the president asked Zaluzhny to resign on Monday, but he refused to do so.

Blaming personalities for the conflict between the two, the Ukrainian MP said, "Personally, I think this is not a good thing." There is no fundamental conflict between them. But Zelensky's office is concerned, saying the fraud is making a political statement, not a military one.

It is not clear whether the dispute between the two will be resolved. Goncharenko said Zelensky may fire Zaluzhny and replace him after reviewing public and international reactions. The President will need the support of the Defense Minister in this process.

Reports say Kirill Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence service, is the frontrunner to replace Zaluzhny. Earlier this year, there were rumors that he might get the job of Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.

Zelensky's spokesman and Ukraine's defense ministry denied the news of the army chief's dismissal on social media.

Meanwhile, news of the decision to fire Ukraine's commander-in-chief sparked public concern. Because Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny is quite popular.

A poll published in December showed that 88 percent of Ukrainians trust General Zaluzhny. On the other hand, 62 percent said they trust Zelensky.

Orysia Lutsevich, a Ukraine expert at the Chatham House think tank, said she believed the call for Zaluzhny to resign was deliberately leaked to elicit public opinion. He also pointed out that such an attack on Zaluzhani will work in favor of the enemy in Russia's attempt to destroy the unity of Ukraine.