President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his support for Ukrainians’ right to take part in protests, spoke of a conflict between Mykhailo Fedorov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and promised to announce Fedorov’s new role at a later date. He also named Ihor Klymenko as one of the candidates for the post of Defence Minister and linked the ministry’s future work to issues of mobilisation and the Territorial Defence Forces.
Briefly about the main points
- Zelenskyy supported citizens’ right to protest during the war.
- The President stated that he is listening to the public and responding to its demands.
- Fedorov will remain on the President’s team; his new role will be announced at a later date.
- Zelenskyy acknowledged the conflict between Fedorov and Syrskyi.
- Klymenko is one of the candidates for the post of Defence Minister.
The President expressed his support for the protesters
Commenting on the protests, Volodymyr Zelenskyy He said that the ability to openly express one’s views is part of the freedom and democracy for which Ukraine is fighting. «People do what they want. They wanted to protest — and rightly so,» he said.
According to the President, the authorities are listening to the public and responding to its demands. At the same time, he noted that during the war, not all issues can be discussed publicly, as some information must not be made available to Russia. «We have no secrets from the public. There are secrets from the Russians,» explained Zelenskyy.
Fedorov will remain on the President’s team
Zelenskyy confirmed that Mikhail Fedorov will continue to work in his team. The Head of State has promised to announce later exactly what position he will hold.
The President also acknowledged the public differences between Fedorov and Oleksandr Syrskyi. According to him, the parties will not enter into negotiations without his involvement. Zelenskyy said that he would like to see unity between them, but that this had not been achieved.
«The President should not be called upon to make a decision in such a situation during a war. I would very much like to see unity. The parties have not been able to achieve it. And this is not just the parties» problem, but mine as well. I do not shirk my responsibility,” he said.
Klymenko is being considered for the post of Defence Minister
One of the candidates for the post the new Minister of Defence Zelensky called Igor Klymenko. At the same time, he clarified that the documents relating to this appointment had not yet been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada.
According to the President, the final decisions on appointments to the leadership of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are to be taken at a later date. He made it clear that the future head of the Ministry of Defence would face challenges extending beyond the management of the ministry itself.
Mobilisation will be one of the key tasks
Zelenskyy acknowledged problems in mobilisation system and the need to find a mechanism for recruiting into the Defence Forces that would ensure respect for citizens. He specifically mentioned the so-called «busification» — the forced detention of men on the streets — and stated that this practice must be completely eradicated.
The President believes that the future Minister of Defence should take responsibility for this area. In his view, Klymenko’s experience could be an asset in resolving issues relating to mobilisation and the operation of territorial recruitment and social support centres.
Personnel decisions in the defence sector are thus linked to several publicly stated challenges: disagreements within the military and political leadership, the work of the TCC, and public reaction to these issues. The actual substance of the new division of powers will depend on future appointments and the role that Fyodorov is assigned.
