Mykhailo Fedorov, who headed the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine since January 2026, does not believe that as of now the President has "chosen the side" of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky in the conflict between them over different approaches to solving the problems of the war.
As an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reports, Fedorov stated this at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.
"Why has the President chosen Syrsky’s side? Well, first of all, I have known the President for seven years. I believe that he has not yet chosen Syrsky’s side.
The President, I spoke with him today, I told him: I act according to my conscience. I have traveled a path with him. Over 7 years, he, as a member of the team, in principle, never let me down, just as I have not. Now there is a situation in which both he and I are acting based on our own views of this world. And this is normal… he spoke normally about me at the faction yesterday. I treat him with respect today," he stated.
Fedorov said hat it is difficult for the President to make the "right decision" when the majority of people complain to him about problems caused by the Ministry of Defense. But he is convinced that "the President hears the people."
"But when 90% of people come to him who have encountered problems after our work at the Ministry of Defense, it is probably difficult for him, as a person and a manager, to analyze all this and make the right decision. But, you know, I don’t remember who said it, but we always make the right decision after we have made all the wrong ones," Fedorov noted.
According to him, he is "confident that the President hears the Ukrainian people, he knows what to do, and the situation will be 100% corrected."
