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Mykhailo Fedorov Says He Will Accept Only the Post of Ukraine’s Defense Minister
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Mykhailo Fedorov stated on July 23 that he would accept only the position of Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, arguing that only the role has the authority needed to complete military reforms and continue ongoing initiatives, according to UNITED24 Media on July 23.
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Fedorov wrote that he joined the Ministry of Defense in January 2026 at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, bringing a specific plan to end the war. According to the statement, the team called it AIR–LAND–ECONOMY: defend the skies, hold the front line, and strike the enemy's economy.
That plan was executed consistently over the following six months, the statement noted. Fedorov claimed Ukraine began seizing the initiative for the first time in recent years, opening what he described as "a window of opportunity to force Russia into peace through strength."
He framed his decision around where authority actually sits over the course of the war.
"I'm grateful to the president for all the options offered. However, today there are only three positions in the country that, alongside the troops on the battlefield, actually shape the course of the war: the President of Ukraine, the Minister of Defense, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Fedorov wrote.
"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, or finish the initiatives our team has already started at the defense ministry," he emphasized.
Fedorov added that he was grateful to the president for all the options offered, without specifying them.
"For me, it was never about the title or status — it has only ever been about having a real impact on the outcome and bringing Ukraine closer to victory," Fedorov stated.
On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that he offered Fedorov several positions after his dismissal, most recently the role of Deputy Prime Minister for Military Innovation. He noted that the position would coordinate defense technology efforts among the Defense Ministry, the military leadership, the General Staff and the President.
The remarks follow a week of public pressure over Fedorov's removal from the ministry. He announced his departure on July 15 in a farewell post on his Telegram channel.
Thousands then gathered on July 16 in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Lviv, and Odesa to protest a dismissal carried out without public explanation, while Volodymyr Zelenskyy treated the rallies as a legitimate expression of democracy and confirmed that Fedorov would remain on his team, with his exact role to be announced later.
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