President Volodymyr Zelensky does not intend to reinstate Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister despite continuing public protests. According to people close to the president cited by RBC-Ukraine, Zelensky considers the dismissal of former Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky sufficient accommodation of the protesters’ demands and is unwilling to reverse his decision on Fedorov.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. According to the publication, the president’s willingness to “listen” or make concessions has limits. Sources portrayed Syrsky’s removal and the appointment of Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine’s new military chief as fulfilling one of the demonstrators’ central demands. However, the second demand, returning Fedorov to the defense ministry, is not expected to be met. Fedorov had resigned on July 15 amid a planned government reshuffle by Zelensky, and a day later, accused Syrsky of division and hindering reforms, attributing his resignation to disputes with the former commander. As a result, Zelensky appointed Yevhen Khmara, the former head of the Alpha special forces unit under the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), to head the defense ministry. Protests across Ukraine Demonstrations were held in Kyiv and several other cities, with participants demanding Fedorov’s return and a change in the Armed Forces’ leadership. Protests began after Fedorov was excluded from Ukraine’s new government amid reports of a prolonged conflict between him and Syrsky over military reforms.