A working meeting took place in Kyiv between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov. The discussion between the head of state and the ministry official occurred against the backdrop of announced large-scale personnel changes in the government and security structures.
The key topic of the conversation was the state of the country's defense capabilities. During the talk, Volodymyr Zelenskyy identified the main threat Ukraine faces today. According to him, the top priority is strengthening the air defense system.
"The key challenge in defense is, of course, strengthening air defense, and this particularly concerns the protection of our cities and villages from Russian drone terror of various types," the President emphasized.
Report and new tasks
Mykhailo Fedorov reported to the head of state on the implementation of previously assigned tasks in the defense sector. The sides discussed current achievements, as well as additional organizational changes. The agenda included decisions and agreements with international partners aimed at strengthening Ukraine's position.
Special attention was paid to the transformation of internal processes within the Armed Forces. Zelenskyy emphasized the need to improve the motivation system for military personnel and to ensure combat brigades are fully staffed. The President thanked the minister for the technological work done and the introduction of innovations that are already showing results.
"We all understand the challenges. It is important that the necessary leadership in the defense sector works," Zelenskyy concluded.
Context of personnel reshuffles
The meeting with the Minister of Defense took place during preparations for a serious personnel rotation. Earlier, on July 12, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the replacement of the Cabinet of Ministers and the leadership of the security forces. The current Prime Minister, Yulia Sviridenko, was offered to head a new significant direction in relations with a key partner.
The President also informed about upcoming changes in the leadership of law enforcement agencies. In his address, he particularly emphasized that he is preparing reshuffles in diplomatic areas as well. The goal of these steps is to accelerate the fulfillment of partners' agreements on weapons supplies.
According to the legislation, the candidate for the post of Minister of Defense of Ukraine is submitted to the Verkhovna Rada personally by the President, which underscores the high level of responsibility of the head of state for personnel policy in this sphere.
