Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov called for finding a way to hold elections even during war and rather sharply criticized the current system of Ukrainian government.
Fedorov, who is considered one of the most popular politicians in Ukraine, published an appeal to the people on his YouTube channel.
“If the war continues for another year, two or three, can Russia actually gain the right to determine when Ukrainians will again be able to choose their government? I’m sure not,” Fedorov said in his address.
“Democracy cannot be a hostage to Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state. Therefore, we must find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to resume a full-fledged democratic process even in conditions of a prolonged war,” the former minister noted.
The Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly insisted that holding elections during martial law is impossible and Ukrainian laws directly prohibit this.
In this context, President Vladimir Zelensky recalled that millions of Ukrainians fled from the war to the west of the country and abroad, and about 20% of the country’s territory is under Russian occupation.
In addition, holding elections in Ukraine was one of Moscow’s initial demands in its negotiations with the new US administration led by Donald Trump.
Fedorov’s appeal was published shortly after Zelensky officially asked the Verkhovna Rada to appoint Yevgeny Khmara, the acting head of the defense department after Fedorov’s resignation, as the new Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
In mid-July, Zelensky partially changed the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, including proposing to parliament a new prime minister: instead of Yulia Sviridenko, the government was headed by Sergei Koretsky.
However, the greatest resonance in Ukraine was caused by the dismissal of 35-year-old Fedorov, who worked as Minister of Defense for only six months, but managed to implement several important reforms for the front.
Among other things, he was able to significantly increase the production of drones of various types and ranges. It was during his leadership that the Ministry of Defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces began to launch effective strikes on targets deep in Russia and managed to partially change the situation on the battlefield in their favor.
Fedorov explained his dismissal by a conflict with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Syrsky. Zelensky also openly complained about the constant contradictions between the minister and the commander-in-chief.
In Kyiv, Lvov and other cities of Ukraine, mass protests took place against Fedorov’s dismissal; demonstrators also called for Syrsky to resign.
As a result, Zelensky appointed Mikhail Drapaty as the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and proposed that Khmara become the head of the Ministry of Defense.
It was reported that Zelensky also offered Fedorov several different positions in the Ukrainian leadership, but he only agreed to return to the post of defense minister.
In his address, Fedorov did not name a single name, including not directly criticizing Zelensky, who (at least until recently) had close friendly and partnership relations with him.
However, the former minister spoke rather harshly about the “system” of the Ukrainian government, in which, according to him, there are cases of corruption, and the reasons for the main decisions are not explained.
He speaks of a “systemic crisis of governance” and a system that is “protective of itself and afraid of change.”
“People cannot live indefinitely in a state where they do not understand why certain decisions are made. Why are some reforms moving forward while others are blocked? - said Fedorov. — Why do decisions that are needed at the front today go around in offices for months? And it is especially dangerous when society has the feeling that the main criterion for appointing a person is not his professionalism, not his results and not his ability to change the country, but his personal loyalty to the system.”
Fedrov also mentioned corruption in the Ukrainian system, but did not specify who exactly he was referring to.
“During war, corruption takes on a completely different meaning,” he said. - In peacetime, stolen money means a worse road, hospital or school. During war, stolen money can mean a drone that was not bought, ammunition that did not arrive, an electronic warfare system that was not there, a car that did not evacuate the wounded.”
“Every hryvnia that should work for defense should work for defense. Not for a private pocket, not for political influence, not for supporting someone’s schemes, not for maintaining someone’s position,” Fedorov added.
As the British Financial Times wrote after Fedorov’s dismissal, some Defense Ministry employees, senior officials and members of parliament believe that Fedorov “was an obstacle to interests that would like to benefit from Ukraine’s huge military budget.”
According to the publication's sources, Fedorov "blocked attempts to provide lucrative military contracts to favorite companies, which made him an enemy of influential figures in the Ukrainian military and political establishment."
