President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has finally broken his silence regarding the fallout with former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, describing the relationship as a tragedy of missed opportunities. During a candid, off-the-record session with reporters on Saturday, the president expressed personal fondness for Fedorov but argued that the minister had drifted toward misguided actions. This includes Fedorov’s role in fueling mass protests following his own dismissal and his subsequent call for national elections, which Zelenskyy warned would act as a tsunami capable of splitting the wartime nation apart.
Beyond political disagreements, Zelenskyy pointed to serious operational failures within the Defense Ministry that caused diplomatic friction with the United States. He recounted a particularly awkward exchange with President Donald Trump concerning the use of Starlink satellites over Russian territory. Based on briefings from his ministry, Zelenskyy had informed Trump that Elon Musk had approved such operations. However, Trump later revealed that Musk had actually rejected the proposal, leaving Zelenskyy facing accusations that he had misled the American leader due to inaccurate data provided by his own staff.
Financial instability also played a role in the tension, with Zelenskyy disclosing a staggering 27 billion dollar budget shortfall resulting from poor spending decisions earlier in the year. These fiscal woes coincide with a dwindling supply of Patriot missiles as Western deliveries decline despite intensifying Russian strikes. While these internal struggles paint a complex picture of governance in Kyiv, Zelenskyy remained firm in his refusal to entertain early elections and defended high-ranking military commanders against vitriolic protest slogans.
Despite the administrative turbulence and corruption probes swirling around his office, the president ended his briefing on an optimistic note regarding the front lines. He reported significant battlefield progress, stating that Ukrainian forces have nearly reclaimed the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, leaving only a tiny sliver of land under Russian control. With further operations planned through August, Zelenskyy expressed confidence that Ukraine will achieve territorial parity by the end of the year relative to lands lost since January.