Ousted Ukraine defence chief digs in against Zelenskiy
Ousted Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov has said he will not accept any other government position other than his old job, escalating the political crisis affecting Ukraine at a crucial juncture in the war with Russia.
Fedorov’s surprise dismissal this month sparked rare wartime protests, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to replace the unpopular chief of staff with a respected young commander.
Zelenskiy said Thursday that he had offered Fedorov several other posts, including deputy prime minister for defense innovation, but did not indicate that he would reappoint him as defense minister.
Fedorov’s rejection puts pressure on Zelenskiy, who protesters have given until Friday to reinstate the 35-year-old, who was tasked with cleaning up the defense ministry.
Last week, thousands of demonstrators marched in Kiev and other cities to express their anger over a lack of communication about Zelenskiy’s decision-making process.
Only the positions of president, chief of staff and defense minister “can actually shape the course of the war,” Fedorov told reporters.
“No other role has the real authority to combat procurement fraud, complete the transformation of the military, plan and execute asymmetric operations against the enemy,” he said.
According to a source close to the matter, negotiations between Zelenskiy and Fedorov were still continuing.
“I think they’ll talk more,” the source said.
Protest organizer and military veteran Dmytro Koziatynskyi said on Thursday that Fedorov “did the right thing” by intervening.
“We must absolutely keep this appointment,” he wrote to X.
“Reforms must be made in the KB!”
The protests come at an unstable time for Ukraine, which has struggled to gain the upper hand against Russia since its full-scale invasion in 2022 but still faces relentless attacks on the battlefield and devastating airstrikes on its cities.
Analysts say the new top general, Mykhailo Drapatyi, appointed on Tuesday, must manage the expanded front and manpower shortage while also establishing relations between the army command and the defense ministry.
with AP
