Mykhailo Fedorov, the former Ukrainian defence minister, has refused every alternative post offered by President Volodymyr Zelensky, insisting he will accept no role other than his former position. In a statement reported by Ukrainian media, Fedorov said that only three offices in the state — the president, the defence minister and the commander-in-chief — “really determine the course of the war” beyond the soldiers on the battlefield. “That is why I do not agree to any other position except the post of defence minister,” he said.

Zelensky had proposed creating a new post of vice-prime minister for military innovations, a role he described as crucial for coordinating new technology with the defence ministry, the general staff and the presidency. The president said Fedorov remained “in the team” and that he had offered several positions, the latest being this vice-premiership. Fedorov, however, argued that no other job carried the real authority to fight corruption in procurement, complete the army’s transformation, plan asymmetric operations, or “eradicate the culture of lies and irresponsibility inside the system”.

Fedorov was dismissed on 15 July after a conflict with then-commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky. His removal sparked protests in several Ukrainian cities demanding his reinstatement and Syrsky’s dismissal. Days later, Zelensky dismissed Syrsky and appointed Mykhailo Drapaty as the new commander-in-chief. Yevhen Khmara, former head of the SBU, was named acting defence minister. Fedorov had criticised Syrsky’s management style, saying the “system of management has changed, and we cannot ride on what was then”, while acknowledging Syrsky’s earlier battlefield successes.

From Kyiv, the political standoff leaves the defence portfolio in limbo. Fedorov’s refusal to accept any alternative role means the president must either reappoint him or find another candidate for a post that, in Fedorov’s view, is one of only three that can shape the war’s outcome. No further talks between the two men have been reported, and the acting minister continues to run the ministry in the interim.