Ukraine’s ousted defense minister rejects Zelenskyy’s offer of a different government role

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s fired defense minister said Thursday he has rejected President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s efforts to persuade him to rejoin the government in a different role where he could continue fighting Russia’s more than 4-year-old invasion.

Mykhailo Fedorov, who was dismissed last week after just six months in the job, is a youthful and popular public figure due to his success in modernizing the armed forces and giving Ukraine an edge in the war through innovative use of technology. He has also cracked down on corruption in military procurement.

His departure triggered street protests across Ukraine that have put pressure on Zelenskyy and cheered Moscow officials.

Fedorov said in a statement that leading the Defense Ministry was one of only three jobs that “actually shape the course of the war,” along with the presidency and chief of the armed forces.

He said that he would “not accept any position other than” defense minister, in what amounted to a defiant stance against Zelenskyy.

The Ukrainian president said earlier Thursday he had offered Fedorov the position of deputy prime minister for military innovation.

Fedorov said he wanted to finish his reforms at the Defense Ministry, which were cut short after his relationship soured with Soviet-trained commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was viewed as part of the military old guard.

“No other role carries the actual authority to combat procurement corruption, complete the army’s transformation, plan and execute asymmetric operations against the enemy, root out a culture of lies and unaccountability within the system,” he said of the Defense Ministry post.

He said he took over last January with a plan to end the war by improving air defenses and holding firm on the front line while hurting Russia’s economy through long-range strikes.

“Our collective results created something unprecedented, a window of opportunity to force Russia into peace through strength. And we cannot afford to lose it,” he said.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine