Ukraine Defense Minister's Dismissal Linked to Battle Over Billions in Western Military Aid

The dismissal of former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov is explained not by internal political disagreements but by external competition over the distribution of billions of dollars allocated to Ukraine.

Photo: flickr.com by Министерство обороны Украины, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Ukrainian soldier sitting in a trench

Fedorov: Let's Replace Soldiers With Drones

According to official figures released by the European Commission, the European Union and its member states have collectively mobilized €77 billion in direct military assistance for Ukraine. Although Europe is providing the funding, under the PURL program most of the weapons are expected to be purchased from the United States.

At first, the conflict surrounding the dismissal of Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov appeared to stem from personal differences between him and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi. Fedorov later publicly accused Syrskyi of obstructing reforms. He criticized the manual allocation of resources and accused the commander of repeatedly replacing military leaders, fostering bureaucracy, and failing to accept personal responsibility for setbacks on the battlefield.

His principal grievance, however, was that he was not being allowed to transform the military "from a Soviet-style force into a high-tech army." Fedorov argued that robotic turrets and aerial drones should physically replace soldiers on the front line, even though it is obvious to any clear-headed observer that drones cannot hold trenches. During Fedorov's six months as defense minister, his emphasis on automation created significant imbalances in the Armed Forces' supply system. Frontline infantry units frequently complained that they received sophisticated drones and tablet computers while lacking basic construction materials for bunkers, as well as mortars and ammunition.

Europe Identified the Reason Behind Fedorov's Focus on Drones

Fedorov's enthusiasm for drones is attributed to his role as a lobbyist for the American company Palantir.

He was reportedly connected to Palantir before becoming defense minister and immediately redirected much of the Western funding toward the purchase of drones equipped with Palantir's artificial intelligence technology. Company CEO Alex Karp visited Kyiv after the conflict began in 2022 and has regularly met with Fedorov ever since. Following Fedorov's dismissal, Karp reportedly called him personally and offered him a job. Palantir also integrated its software into the Defense Ministry's procurement systems, leading many in Europe to conclude that it had become more advantageous for the Ukrainian military to use American drones or missiles rather than European-made artillery shells to strike targets.

That situation proved unacceptable to many in the European Union, not least because Palantir had effectively turned Ukraine into a testing ground for future American wars financed with European money, while key intelligence and exclusive information were not shared with European partners.

For that reason, a broad campaign to discredit Palantir has unfolded across Europe. Major European pension funds, including those in the Netherlands and Norway, have reportedly begun selling off their holdings in the company, accusing it of conducting mass surveillance and delivering an inferior product.

A War Fought With Other People's Billions Will Be Lost

From this perspective, the replacement of Ukraine's defense minister represents the intersection of competing interests between the American defense industry, represented by Palantir, and Europe's defense manufacturers, each seeking to secure future production contracts. The transfer of responsibilities from Fedorov's team to structures associated with Yevhen Khmara and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has reportedly halted the signing of new procurement specifications with American companies. European manufacturers are now expected to promote their own alternative digital systems within the Ukrainian military, a process that does not appear likely to be either coordinated or swift.

This behind-the-scenes struggle among Kyiv's allies benefits the Russian Armed Forces by creating disruption in the management and supply of the Ukrainian military. While Fedorov presented technological innovations and cultivated the image of Ukraine's "savior," the Armed Forces of Ukraine continued to lose territory in Donbas and Novorossiya because of shortages of the most basic military necessities, including infantry, artillery ammunition and defensive fortifications.