"I think quite practically that a president who has to lead a country cannot do so effectively if the defense minister and the commander of the armed forces are at odds with each other. This issue clearly had to be resolved by dismissing either one, the other, or both," Antsu said in an interview, commenting on the situation in Ukraine's defense leadership.

He noted that people in Ukraine are out on the streets protesting Fedorov's dismissal. "Why are they doing it? Clearly because there have been no elections for seven years. In any country where elections are more frequent, and where there is no economic growth, or COVID‑19, or other problems, leaders lose popularity and people become dissatisfied."

This is a country that has been under constant Russian missile attacks for four and a half years of full‑scale war, Antsu added.

"People are dying and fighting in the army, and they have no way to express their frustration through elections or shape Ukraine's future political direction. In such moments, emotions inevitably spill over and people take to the streets. But Ukraine is a democratic country where, despite the absence of elections at the moment, people speak up and civil society plays an important role. It shows once again that in a country like Ukraine, decisions cannot simply be made top‑down without considering what the public thinks."

Acting minister in place

Even within the majority of the Ukrainian parliament, there were many who felt dismissing the defense minister Fedorov was not a wise step and therefore refused to vote for it. As a result, there is currently an acting minister. "Naturally, we hope a new defense minister will be confirmed soon," Antsu said.

Fedorov emphasized in his messages after being dismissed — somewhat emotionally — that he had been fully loyal to the president Zelenskyy all these years and had not pursued any personal political agenda, Antsu noted.

"Of course politicians think about domestic politics. Even if elections are not coming soon, one day they will. What makes this dismissal matter more to people than usual is that during a long war, people need hope from somewhere. Especially in a situation where mobilization is difficult, fighters are lacking, frontline soldiers cannot see when they might be discharged or even get a longer rest, and equipment is insufficient," Antsu explained.

"Fedorov was someone who brought hope that the system would improve, corruption would be fought, planning would become more strategic, and — given his background — technology would be used more effectively. When suddenly that hope was taken away, people became confused."

But people in Ukraine who fight on the front or who send drones toward Russia cannot afford to be shaken by political maneuvering. "They do their job and continue defending Ukraine. There is no other option," Antsu said.

West can't dictate choices

According to the official, both Ukraine and Estonia have an interest in ensuring that this confusion lasts as little time as possible, the issue is resolved, and Ukraine has a functioning government and defense minister. At the same time, Western countries cannot dictate what must be done or who should be appointed defense minister. That is the decision of Ukraine's president and the Ukrainian people — which politicians they choose to lead them.

Ukraine's new prime minister Serhi Koretskyi has been brought in as an economist, business leader and manager. "He has long experience both as a private entrepreneur — being the creator of Ukraine's largest coffee retail network — and as the head of major state‑owned enterprises. The expectation is that he can transfer such managerial skills to leading the Ukrainian government," Antsu noted.

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