Zelensky, what now? The conflict that changes everything

The removal of Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has sparked major protests.

Since July 16, rallies have been held in Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities. Participants are demanding that Fedorov be reinstated and that Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, resign.

The situation now puts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in front of difficult decisions.

Syrskyi himself posted a brief message on social media thanking Fedorov for his work as defense minister. "I hope he will remain part of Team Ukraine," the commander-in-chief wrote.

"A systemic problem"

According to political analyst Oleh Saakian, co-founder of Ukraine’s "National Platform for Resilience and Cohesion," Zelensky found himself in a situation where two sides were making categorical demands of each other: the military wing represented by Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, and the technology sector led by Fedorov.

"Fedorov’s dismissal has revealed a clear ethical divide within Zelensky’s team. It is no longer a question of Fedorov or Syrskyi, but a moral choice that Zelensky must make — whether to choose Syrskyi’s methods (focused on the military and mobilization) or the ethical principles and approaches represented by Fedorov," Saakian told DW.

Meanwhile, Fedorov’s removal has further fueled debate in Ukraine over the relationship between civilian leadership in the Defense Ministry and the military command. Mykola Bielieskov, an expert at the Ukrainian foundation "Come Back Alive," believes the problem is systemic rather than personal.

"When the defense minister seeks to go beyond merely providing material supplies for the army and instead raises questions about strategic warfare, it causes dissatisfaction within the military," Bielieskov said in an interview with DW. He warned that if the issue is not addressed at a systemic level, tensions between military and civilian leadership will continue to exist — either in a latent form or in an even more acute form.

Will new technologies be missing?

Meanwhile, Yevhen Kmara, former head of Special Operations Center "A" and acting head of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) since January, was appointed acting defense minister by a decision of Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Kmara has gained extensive and, in many respects, unprecedented experience in leading technological offensive operations. This is where our defense efforts in this war should be focused," the president said.

According to Zelensky, once all legally required procedures are completed, he will submit Kmara’s nomination for the position of defense minister to parliament for approval. However, lawmakers are not expected to hold a plenary session before mid-August.

In an interview with DW, former SBU officer and military expert Ivan Stupak described the new acting defense minister as a specialist with deep knowledge of military affairs. However, in his view, Kmara will not be able to fully replace Mykhailo Fedorov, who did not have a military background. As a visionary and pioneer of digitalization, Fedorov played a unique role in Ukrainian politics.

"While drones will continue to fly and deep- and medium-range strikes will continue to take place, I believe there will be few — if any — genuine innovations or breakthroughs related to digitalization, cooperation with Silicon Valley, or cooperation with the American technology company Palantir," Stupak said.

The task of the new Defense Minister

Igor Reiterovich from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv believes that the change in leadership at the Defense Ministry will fundamentally alter the way the ministry operates.

"While the previous minister was more focused on management, the ministry’s approach in the future will be shaped more strongly by military ethos," the political scientist said.

According to him, Kmara’s primary task will be to improve cooperation between the Defense Ministry and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The expert sees this as the reason behind the president’s recent personnel decisions.

"This is an attempt to optimize cooperation between the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Essentially, it is about resolving the conflict between the ministry and the military command — especially with Syrskyi," Reiterovich explained to DW.

Military expert Ivan Stupak believes that the fact that the new defense chief is not a civilian represents a strength.

"Kmara is a soldier, he wears the uniform, he knows the rules of the game, and he can speak with generals in a language they understand," the expert concluded.