Zelenskyy: Fedorov suggested "honestly dismissing both" himself and Syrskyi
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that, amid the conflict between then defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov and commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Fedorov suggested dismissing them both.
Source: Zelenskyy speaking to journalists, as reported by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne
Details: According to Zelenskyy, a "very serious" conflict arose between Fedorov and Syrskyi over the division of responsibilities between the Ministry of Defence and military command.
Zelenskyy said the defence minister and commander-in-chief effectively stopped communicating directly and only discussed issues during meetings in his office.
Quote: "There can't be a conflict at this level between leaders. Whatever operation is taking place on the battlefield, that's primarily a matter for the military. Logistics and support fall under Ukraine's Ministry of Defence. If someone steps into another's area of responsibility, that will inevitably lead to conflict. And a conflict did happen – a very serious one."
Details: Zelenskyy said that during one meeting, Fedorov suggested "honestly dismissing both of them".
The president noted that he decided not to change both the defence minister and the commander-in-chief at the same time during the war, and planned to make personnel decisions sequentially.
Two weeks before the personnel changes, Zelenskyy claims, he suggested that Fedorov and Syrskyi meet separately to resolve their differences, but this did not happen.
After deciding to change the Defence Ministry's leadership, Zelenskyy offered Fedorov four different formats for continuing to work as part of the team, but he turned down all of the proposals.
Mykhailo Fedorov: "Would I return as defence minister? 100%!" Part 2 of our interview
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