"I will not accept any position other than Minister of Defence," former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said after his dismissal last week.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and newly appointed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov shake hands before their meeting, in Kyiv, Ukraine Jan 14, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)
24 Jul 2026 05:02AM
KYIV: Ukraine's ex-defence minister - whose ousting trigged a week of protests and forced out the country's commander-in-chief - said Thursday (Jul 23) he was rejecting offers by US President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a new role.The popular reformist Mykhailo Fedorov said he would only accept a return to his old role, where he could combat "corruption", "root out a culture of lies" and "complete the army's transformation."Organisers have urged fresh protests calling for Fedorov to be reinstated after Zelenskyy unexpectedly removed him from office after just six months in the role."I will not accept any position other than Minister of Defence," Fedorov said in a statement to reporters."No other role carries the actual authority to combat procurement corruption, complete the army's transformation, plan and execute asymmetric operations against the enemy, root out a culture of lies and unaccountability within the system," he added.Zelenskyy's firing of Fedorov last week plunged Kyiv into its deepest political crisis since Russia invaded in 2022.Thousands of young people protested across the country against the decision. Fedorov, 35, was appointed in January on a mandate to modernise and digitise the Ukrainian military.He was removed after months of behind-the-scenes clashes with the army command, who he said resisted his calls to change.
