Zelenskyy could no longer tolerate ongoing conflict between Defence Minister Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi – UP sources

Following the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukrainska Pravda has investigated why President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided to part ways with one of his closest allies.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda article

Details: One of the Servant of the People MPs who attended the parliamentary faction meeting said: "It was obvious that it was very difficult for the president to talk about it. For about ten minutes he was literally struggling to find the words, choosing his phrasing and trying to explain his decision. It seemed rational, but it was clear that dismissing Fedorov was an extremely difficult step for him."

In reality, there was very little uncertainty among MPs regarding the new prime minister or most of the future ministers.

They already knew about half of the names because they were current ministers. As always, they saw the names of the other half for the first time during the presentation.

The only issue that genuinely concerned the faction was Fedorov's future. That was the first question MPs raised.

According to Ukrainska Pravda sources, the president explained that he could no longer tolerate the constant conflict between the defence minister and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.

"They live in two different worlds. Mykhailo wants to digitalise everything and build the system around technology. The military simply want to be heard. They ask for one type of weapon to be procured, while he refuses and funds other areas instead. They simply stopped listening to each other," one MP quoted the president as saying.

Another source recalled an even sharper remark from the president: "It became absurd. Syrskyi would come and say, 'Fedorov isn't providing anything for specific operations.' Then Fedorov would come and reply, 'We've provided everything, they're just using it incorrectly, in the wrong way and in the wrong places'. And it just kept going round in circles."

Zelenskyy was trying to explain to MPs that his main objective was to restore balance between the Armed Forces and the government.

"Well, I cannot allow the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff to be fighting each other while the country is at war. Ideally, both should be replaced. But I cannot do that at the same time," Zelenskyy told MPs.

The president also stressed that Fedorov had failed to deliver the promised reform of the mobilisation system. He said that Ihor Klymenko, current acting Minister of Internal Affairs, whom he plans to nominate as the next defence minister, will be able to "put things in order" in the system responsible for recruiting personnel into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Zelenskyy said that if Putin announces general mobilisation on 23 September, nobody will be thinking about digital reforms anymore. We need to sort out mobilisation before that," one Servant of the People MP recalled the president saying.

Overall, Zelenskyy found himself caught between two competing visions of how the war should be fought, a dispute further intensified by dissatisfaction among dozens of influential groups within Ukraine's defence industry that have been losing access to defence contracts. In the end, he chose to preserve the current structure of the military command.

Those who, only last autumn, had completely surrendered the initiative on the battlefield to Russia convinced the president that victory required replacing the minister under whom Ukraine had regained the initiative.

And Zelenskyy, with a heavy heart, made that "difficult decision".

Previously: Fedorov summed up his tenure, thanked those who supported him and said he will continue his mission to "defeat the enemy through asymmetry, the speed of innovation and the power of organisation".

Background:

• According to Ukrainska Pravda sources within the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, Zelenskyy will not put Fedorov forward for the post of defence minister. Instead, he is expected to nominate Ihor Klymenko, who is currently serving as acting Interior Minister.
• Sources in the faction also say Fedorov remains on the president's team, "but what he will do next will become clearer next week".

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