Last weekend, President Volodymyr Zelensky offered Mykhailo Fedorov several alternative positions, but he is only ready to return to the position of Minister of Defense.
This is reported by the Financial Times, citing sources.
The FT sources say Zelensky spoke with Fedorov for nearly six hours last weekend, and since his dismissal on Thursday they have been in almost daily contact. The president has offered him several alternative positions, including a seat on Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council with direct access to the president and a mandate to coordinate defense innovation and military reform.
In this position, Fedorov would oversee programs to develop defense technologies, scale up the production of long-range weapons, continue to advance reforms outside the Ministry of Defense and military command, and attract foreign investment into the Ukrainian defense industry.
However, Fedorov refused all offers and agreed to return only to the Ministry of Defense.
“He is in a very strong position now. He only wants one thing — to return to the post of Minister of Defense. And he knows that the majority of society is on his side,” said an FT source familiar with the negotiations between Fedorov and Zelensky.
Zelensky also met with a number of military officials over the weekend, including the commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatiy, the deputy chief of the General Staff Volodymyr Horbatyuk, and the commander of the Airborne Assault Forces Oleh Apostol. According to FT sources, all three are among the candidates for the position of commander-in-chief.
Several senior officials and sources close to the military leadership told the FT that there was growing support for the idea of appointing junior officers whose careers had already been shaped during the war with Russia, rather than in the Soviet military tradition.
Proponents of this approach believe that these commanders better understand the modern realities of war: the rapid development of drones, the need for decentralized decision-making, and rapid adaptation at the front.
Government resignation and protests for Fedorov
President Volodymyr Zelensky reported the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on July 12 and reported that the composition of the government and the leadership of law enforcement agencies would be renewed. And on July 14, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Svyrydenko from her post.
On July 15, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov reported his resignation. This sparked a wave of protests across Ukraine, which have been going on for the third day.
During a conversation with journalists, Fedorov spoke about the conflict with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, who allegedly gave Fedorov an ultimatum and blocked the Ministry of Defenseʼs initiatives. At the same time, Zelensky said at a briefing that Fedorov and Syrsky could not agree, and the conflict between them was "systemic".
On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada voted to appoint Serhiy Koretsky as Prime Minister of Ukraine. Only one MP was against. Prior to that, Koretsky was the Chairman of the Board of “Naftogaz”, which he headed in 2025.
On July 18, Zelensky held meetings with Syrsky and Fedorov and promised “a decision on the army”. Fedorov reported that “there is a dialogue”.
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