The resignation of Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, announced this Thursday (16), sparked protests in several Ukrainian cities and sparked an alert of political crisis in the country.
Seen by a portion of the Ukrainian population as an efficient leader of the Ministry of Defense and associated with the fight against corruption in the country, Fedorov was removed amid a reformulation of the Ukrainian government.
In this context, a large protest took place in Kiev this Thursday morning. Hundreds of protesters gathered in the city center with posters and slogans in support of the Minister of Defense and criticism of Zelensky. Similar demonstrations took place in 13 other cities, including Lviv, Odessa and Kharkiv.
Last Tuesday (14), the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, and other ministers automatically lost their positions. However, some will have their positions maintained. The dismissal of the government has been seen as a pretext to resolve conflicts within the country’s security structures.
The main reason given for Fedorov’s departure from the ministry, who spent only six months in office, has been a conflict with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi. Fedorov had demanded the commander’s dismissal, but the request was refused by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Commenting on the situation, Zelensky previously announced: “I would very much like to see the union [entre Fedorov e Syrskyi]. The parties did not find her. And in this situation, there is a choice: either one side or the other. Because without me, they won’t have a seat at the table,” he said.
With the current restructuring, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense will have the fourth change of command since the start of the war with Russia, in February 2022. Former minister Mykhailo Fedorov was seen as a figure associated with the fight against corruption and enjoyed prestige in public opinion.
Fedorov was also seen as one of those responsible for increasing Ukraine’s drone attack capabilities in the conflict with Russia, being responsible for bringing modernization to the sector.
One of the voices that expressed criticism of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s moves was the Ukrainian leader’s former spokesperson, who held the position between 2019 and 2021. She stated that it no longer matters who occupies the position of Minister of Defense, because “each new minister arrives as a supposed savior and marches on as another disappointment”.
“Change is not possible under Zelensky’s government. He needs war. He needs corruption. He needs autocracy. Stop deluding yourself into thinking he is someone else. Look at reality: he has been in power for more than 7 years,” she wrote on the social network X.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
