- Campaigners pledge indefinite nationwide protests until Mykhailo Fedorov is reinstated as defence minister.
- Protesters call for a rally on Friday evening outside Zelenskyy’s office, deepening the political crisis.
- Fedorov has turned down the post of deputy prime minister and demands reinstatement to implement his modernisation plan.
- A senior army source says Zelenskyy faces a dilemma: reversing would be humiliating, but not doing so risks continued protests.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is under increasing pressure to reinstate Mykhailo Fedorov, who was ousted as defence minister last week after just six months. Campaigners have pledged to continue indefinite protests until Fedorov is reinstated, with a rally scheduled for Friday evening outside Zelenskyy's office in Ivana Franka Square.123
Fedorov, a 35-year-old tech-savvy moderniser, has reportedly declined the role of deputy prime minister for technological development, insisting that only a return to his former position will allow him to implement his ambitious plans for modernising Ukraine's military.
One senior army source noted the dilemma facing Zelenskyy: “If he reverses his decision, this would be a big victory for Fedorov. It would be humiliating for the president and reveal him to be weak. But if he doesn’t, the protests will keep going,” they said. This generational conflict between Fedorov and the 60-year-old Soviet-trained traditionalist Syrskyi has intensified the crisis in Ukraine's military leadership.4
As protests escalate, the political landscape in Ukraine remains fraught, with Zelenskyy needing to balance public sentiment against the implications of reversing his decision on Fedorov's ousting.
“Fedorov turned down deputy PM, demanding reinstatement to implement army modernisation. A senior army source told the Guardian that rejecting the defence minister was a dilemma: reversing would be a big victory for Fedorov and reveal weakness, but not doing so ensures indefinite protests continue.”
The Guardian
