Pressure from weapons manufacturers, offers of “decorative positions” and ideological conflict with Syrsky. Key points from Fedorov’s interview

In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Mykhailo Fedorov spoke about pressure from weapons manufacturers, offers of "decorative positions", and a conflict of worldviews with former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky.

About the reason for dismissal

Fedorov believes that the reason for his dismissal is that many people surrounded the Ministry of Defense due to changes in internal processes. According to him, the pressure intensified in mid-April and even then it was clear that this “would end in something”. He believes that the changes in the ministry caused dissatisfaction among many people, who began to sow negativity around the president and in the media.

The governmentʼs resignation is just a "cover" for his dismissal, Fedorov believes. He learned about his resignation from the president half an hour before the faction meeting.

On ultimatums and the return to the position of Minister of Defense

Fedorov assured that he did not issue any ultimatums. He resigned with the government, after which protests began and he was offered a number of positions. However, the former defense minister considers them "decorative".

"I simply said that I have a certain vision of what to do next. Wherever I am, I will follow it, but I will not hold some decorative position," the former Minister of Defense assured.

Communication with Zelensky

Communication with President Volodymyr Zelensky is still ongoing. It is important to end it in a way that "makes the country stronger".

Mobilization reform

According to Fedorov, the mobilization reform was planned to be presented in July, launched in August, and the main problems to be eliminated by September. In June, the Ministry of Defense launched the first stage, which is related to terms of service, deferment, salaries, and transfers. Since there was no funding for this, optimization was carried out internally.

"We were moving clearly according to our plan. I had a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, at the time of my dismissal, with all the key stakeholders in mobilization, where I was supposed to sign a decree — the first step in the reform. Itʼs hard to say why it didnʼt work, because we were moving according to plan," he added.

Syrskyʼs resignation

The change of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a great victory for an active society. Mykhailo Drapatiy is a “man from a different culture” who can become a real leader. Fedorov and Syrsky did not have a personal conflict — it was more of a worldview conflict. The different visions concerned reforms, projects, and operations.

• On July 15, Mykhailo Fedorov reported that he was resigning from the post of Defense Minister. During a conversation with journalists, he spoke about the conflict with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, who allegedly gave Fedorov an ultimatum and blocked the Defense Ministryʼs initiatives. Fedorovʼs resignation caused a wave of protests in various cities of Ukraine, which have been going on for the second week.

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