Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has accepted Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto’s invitation to serve as an adviser on defense innovation. Fedorov announced his new role on Friday, Aug. 28, in a statement posted to Telegram, unveiling that he had met with Crosetto during the first stop of an international trip focused on digitalization and defense-technology projects.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Ukraine’s experience can become the foundation for a new European defense model,” Fedorov said, adding that “the future of defense belongs to countries able to quickly test and scale new solutions, combining technology with strong manufacturing.” Continuing support for Ukraine projects Fedorov said his main focus would remain Ukraine, where he will continue working on projects intended to reinforce the country’s defenses and attract international resources. He was ousted as defense minister on July 15 as part as part of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s broader cabinet reshuffle, and was replaced by Yevhen Khmara – a former major general of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) who has spent most of his career in special operations. The move triggered major protests nationwide throughout July, with demonstrators calling for Fedorov to be reinstated. Italy’s diplomatic stance on the war in Ukraine On June 19, Crosetto said Italy would not contribute funds to NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), which finances purchases of US-made weapons for Ukraine.