Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, commenting on the positions offered to him by the president, said he would not accept any role other than that of Minister of Defense.

This was reported by Ukrainska Pravda.

“I am grateful to the President for all the positions he has offered me. But today there are only three positions in the country that, apart from the military on the battlefield, truly determine the course of the war: the President of Ukraine, the Minister of Defense, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

That is why I will not accept any position other than that of Minister of Defense.

None of the other positions carries the real authority needed to fight corruption in defense procurement, complete the ongoing transformation of the military, plan and execute asymmetric actions and operations against the enemy, eradicate the culture of lies and irresponsibility within the system, and finish the other reforms our team has already begun at the Ministry of Defense.”

Fedorov added that he is not interested in a position or status, but in having the ability to make a real impact and help bring Ukraine’s victory closer.

According to Fedorov, in January 2026, at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his team joined the Ministry of Defense with a concrete plan to end the war by protecting Ukraine’s skies, stabilizing the front line, and striking the enemy’s economy.

He added that over the following six months, the team consistently implemented the strategy.

“For the first time in years, Ukraine began to regain the initiative. Our joint efforts created something that had never existed before — a window of opportunity to force Russia into peace through strength.”

To remind, since July 16 protests were held in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities calling for Mykhailo Fedorov to be reinstated as Minister of Defense and for Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi to be dismissed.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that Defense Minister Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi had been unable to work effectively together, and that key issues on the battlefield, within military brigades, and in the mobilization process remained unresolved.

After six days of protests, Zelenskyy announced the dismissal of Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and said Mykhailo Drapatyi would be appointed to replace him.

Veteran Dmytro Kozyatynskyi, who had previously called on people to rally for Syrskyi’s resignation, announced another protest in Kyiv on July 24, demanding that Mykhailo Fedorov be returned to the post of Minister of Defense.

EMPR