Syrskyi Thanks Donahue After Hegseth Forces His Exit
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- Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi published a farewell on Telegram thanking Gen. Christopher Donahue for delivering long-range systems, strengthening Ukraine's air defenses, and "saving thousands of Ukrainian lives" during his 18-month tenure.
- Gen. Christopher Donahue submitted retirement papers after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth personally requested his resignation — news that broke June 23; the Army has not provided a definitive reason for the change.
- Pete Hegseth had "earned the ire" of Donahue according to two U.S. officials cited by CBS News; the two men met in person only once, in February 2025, and Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to elaborate on the circumstances.
- Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine is seeking a presidential waiver so Donahue can retire at four stars — a rank he has held for fewer than the three years federal law requires.
- The Wiesbaden headquarters is being downgraded from four-star to three-star command as part of Hegseth's broader push to cut four-star billets; Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie took over in an acting capacity Thursday, while Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral is the frontrunner for the permanent post.
- The ouster extends a shake-up that has removed or replaced at least a dozen senior military leaders since Hegseth took office, drawing bipartisan criticism — Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) called it "yet another unforced error from a Secretary leading the Pentagon with bro-culture bravado."
- Donahue, the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan in August 2021, will formally hand the NATO Allied Land Command post to British Lt. Gen. Jez Bennett at a July 9 ceremony in Izmir, Turkey.
Why it matters: The general who built the U.S. Army's Ukraine support pipeline is out after 18 months, forced out by a defense secretary he met in person only once. European officials fear the exit foreshadows a drawdown from the roughly 80,000 American troops on the continent, and the Wiesbaden headquarters itself is being downgraded to three-star command.
