Zelensky Keeps Silent on Fedorov’s Possible Reappointment

President Volodymyr Zelensky has refused to say whether he would reinstate former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov over the weekend.In an interview with Sky News before his Monday visit to the UK, Zelensky commented on Fedorov’s dismissal and said he could not regularly intervene in Fedorov’s disputes with former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky when asked about the potential reinstatement.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“I don’t have time for talks. Look, I don’t have time to listen to one side, then to listen to another side, because two sides are not ready to meet each day,” Zelensky said, as reported by RBC Ukraine.“And I don’t need to find who is right and who is not right,” he added.Fedorov resigned on July 15 amid a planned government reshuffle by Zelensky. A day later, Fedorov accused Syrsky of division and hindering reforms, attributing his resignation to disputes with the former commander.Zelensky later appointed Yevhen Khmara, the former head of the Alpha special forces unit under the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), to head the defense ministry.Following consultations with military and security officials, Zelensky also sacked Syrsky and replaced him with Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapaty.While the public has largely attributed Kyiv’s recent successful drone strikes to the reformist Fedorov, who was credited with Kyiv’s drone procurements, Zelensky brushed off the claim by calling the successful attacks a combined effort between various institutions in his interview with Sky News. Other Topics of Interest ‘We Did Not Start Any War’: Putin Again Denies Russia’s Responsibility for Ukraine Invasion Speaking at a meeting with Russian Navy personnel in St. Petersburg on Sunday, Putin claimed Russia was forced to respond to a war allegedly launched by the “Kyiv regime.” But Zelensky said he respected both Fedorov and Syrsky, before adding that he believes drones cannot replace drones.“Because there are infiltrations of the enemy, and if you don’t have soldiers on the front, you will lose this territory, you will lose the village, and after the village you will lose the city,” he added.Zelensky said on Thursday that he offered Fedorov the position of “deputy prime minister for military innovations,” but Fedorov turned down the offer on the same day by saying he would only consider a reappointment to the defense minister post as it’s the only role available that could “actually shape the course of the war.”Popular protests have continued in Ukraine calling for Fedorov’s reinstatement. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.