Fedorov can turn the conflict between the Defense Ministry and the General Staff into a constructive channel, source says
Mykhailo Fedorov (Photo: Valentyna Polishchuk / LIGA.net)

After being appointed minister of defense Mikhail Fedorov can redirect the conflict between the agency and the General Staff of the Armed Forces into a constructive direction. About this for LIGA.net's text said one of the former deputy ministers of defense anonymously.

According to him, in order to solve systemic problems in the Defense Ministry, a minister and a team are needed who are able to work with complex structures and are not afraid of daily work.

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The source suggested that Fedorov and his team's energy could turn the conflict that has historically and legally existed between the Defense Ministry and the General Staff into a constructive channel, which would benefit both institutions.

At the same time, Deputy Head of the Public Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defense Tetiana Nikolaienko said LIGA.net that Denys Shmyhal, the outgoing minister, is a very systematic person who has been observing and moving very carefully in this position for a very long time.

Instead, Fedorov will move very freely and quickly, but his acquaintance with the reality of the General Staff and the Logistics Forces Command is just ahead, she noted.

"These structures have their own vision and change very slowly. That's why I think his personal dynamics may now clash with the dynamics of the General Staff," Nikolaienko said.

However, even this scenario can lead to unexpected results, added LIGA.net MP from the Defense Committee from the faction Holos Solomiya Bobrovska.

"The question is whether he [Fedorov] will go into a clash with Syrskyi? Then this is a potential change of the commander-in-chief – this scenario is also possible. He will be more reckless than the conservative Shmyhal," she concluded.

  • Some parliamentarians in communication with LIGA.net opposed president Zelenskyy's initiative to replace Shmyhal with Fedorov
  • Kostenko, a member of the Defense Committee, said LIGA.net that the appointment of Fedorov as defense minister means the arrival of a new team and the search for new reforms, and during a full-scale war – is a risk.
  • After the Defense Ministry, Shmyhal is to head the Energy Ministry. MP Sovsun from the relevant committee said LIGA.net that the election of his candidacy was a step of desperation, as many potential nominees had refused the post. At the same time, the head of the committee, Herus, noted that Shmyhal has sufficient qualifications in this area.