NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has stated that the appointment of a new Ukrainian defence minister to replace Mykhailo Fedorov should not significantly alter Kyiv’s strategy in the war against Russia. Speaking to the DPA news agency, he said he expected continuity in policy and spoke positively of the Ukrainian military’s current actions on the front line.
Briefly about the main points
- Rutte expects continuity in Ukraine’s strategy following the change of minister.
- The NATO Secretary-General stated that the Russian army was making slow progress.
- According to him, Ukrainian forces launched counter-attacks in certain areas.
- Zelensky has appointed Yevhen Khmara to act as Minister of Defence.
- The Verkhovna Rada has not yet appointed a new Defence Minister.
Assessment of the situation on the front line
Rutte He said that the Ukrainian military was performing much better than at the start of the year. In his view, the Russian army is advancing very slowly, whilst the Defence Forces have been able to launch counter-attacks in some areas.
He also stated that Ukraine is carrying out strikes deep inside Russian territory, targeting energy infrastructure and industrial facilities. The NATO Secretary-General added that, according to him, Russia is losing between 25,000 and 35,000 soldiers every month.
What Rutte said about Fedorov
The NATO Secretary-General said that he had enjoyed a good working relationship with Mikhail Fedorov, and wished him every success. In his view, Fedorov’s successor «will undoubtedly continue along this path».
Rutte thus linked the personnel change not to a review of military strategy, but to the preservation of its main thrusts. This is the Alliance’s Secretary-General’s assessment of Ukraine’s future course.
The appointment still has to be approved by parliament
On 16 July, the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said., who appointed the acting head of the SBU to carry out the duties of Minister of Defence To Yevhen Khmara. The Law «On the National Security of Ukraine» stipulates that the Minister of Defence and his deputies must be civilians.
Later, Suspilne’s sources within the SBU reported that Khmara’s first deputy is to act as interim head of the agency in his place Oleksandr Poklad. On the same day Verkhovna Rada did not vote on the nominations for the ministers of foreign affairs and defence: these must be submitted to parliament by the President.
Reaction to the decision regarding the Ministry of Defence
Following the decision not to nominate Fedorov for the post of Defence Minister in the new government, peaceful demonstrations took place on 16 July in Kyiv and other cities protests. Zelenskyy described the rallies as an expression of the democracy and freedom for which Ukraine is fighting.
The President also stated that he is listening to the protesters and addressing some of their concerns, adding that «the matter has not yet been settled». At the same time, the decision on the new head of the Ministry of Defence remains subject to the appointment procedure by the Verkhovna Rada.
