Zelenskyy to nominate Klymenko as defence minister because Fedorov "botched TCR reform" – Zhelezniak
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will nominate current Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as defence minister in the new government, replacing Mykhailo Fedorov. According to Zelenskyy, the latter "botched the reform of Territorial Centres of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR and SS)."
This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak and reported by "Suspilne" with reference to "Servant of the People" MPs, Censor.NET informs.
What prompted the decision on Fedorov
"The president told the faction that he would nominate Klymenko for defence minister. As for Fedorov’s future, he ‘will be somewhere nearby.’ In other words, he will be left without any position at all... Zelenskyy said that he could not choose between Syrskyi and Fedorov. He also said that the latter had botched the reform of TCR and SS," Zhelezniak noted.
"The president will propose Klymenko instead of Fedorov for defence minister," Servant of the People MPs told Suspilne after the faction’s meeting with Zelenskyy on 15 July.
At the same time, Ukrainska Pravda reports that Zelenskyy told MPs at the meeting that Fedorov had an ongoing systemic conflict with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi and the military that could not be resolved.
"He (the president – ed.) said that, ideally, both Fedorov and Syrskyi (Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – ed.) should be dismissed, but he cannot do that now," a UP source said.
According to the publication’s sources, Fedorov remains on the president’s team, "but more will become known next week about what he will do next."
Meanwhile, RBC-Ukraine, citing sources, reports that Zelenskyy is dismissing Fedorov because he and Syrskyi have "different visions of the war."
"Secondly, the president said that Fedorov and the ministry made procurement decisions at their own discretion rather than in accordance with requests from the General Staff and the military. This concerned, in particular, the procurement of artillery shells," the source said.
Background
- On 14 July, parliament dismissed Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. All ministers were dismissed along with her.
- Earlier, Censor.NET reported that Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov’s position had weakened significantly ahead of a major government reshuffle, with Verkhovna Rada members speaking increasingly confidently about his possible replacement by current Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.
