On July 15, it became known that Mykhailo Fedorov was leaving the post of Ukraine’s defense minister, a position he had held for about six months. Against this backdrop, rallies in his support took place in Ukraine, while the European Union, according to the source text, expressed surprise and asked President Volodymyr Zelensky for an explanation.
Ukrainian media had reported even before the resignation that Fedorov was in conflict with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi. The former minister later publicly confirmed that serious disagreements existed between them.
What Fedorov said
According to Fedorov, after taking over the Defense Ministry he saw problems in the army and proposed dismissing Syrskyi. Zelensky, he said, did not support that idea, and he accepted it. Then, in Fedorov’s account, Syrskyi framed the issue as “either him or me.”
Fedorov also said that, instead of looking for ways to defeat Russia, the commander-in-chief had, in his view, engaged in actions that would split the country from within.
Zelensky’s position
Zelensky said he would have preferred unity, but the sides failed to achieve it. According to the president, if the parties to a conflict cannot resolve the issue themselves, he has to make the decision.
At the same time, the president said he was confident Fedorov would remain part of his team even after leaving the defense minister’s post.
Syrskyi’s response
Syrskyi thanked Mykhailo Fedorov for his work as Ukraine’s defense minister and wished him to remain part of Ukraine’s team, adding: “Together to victory.”