BREAKING: Zelensky proposes appointing Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister
President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed appointing Mykhailo Fedorov as the country's new defense minister.
Fedorov, 34, currently serves as Ukraine's deputy prime minister and digital transformation minister. He is one of the very few officials who have been with Zelensky's team since the start of his political career in 2019 and the only minister to survive all the government reshuffles.
The decision was announced on Jan. 2 as part of a major political shake-up, following several key appointments. Kyrylo Budanov, the military intelligence chief, was appointed as the new head of the President's Office, while Oleh Ivashchenko, the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, assumed Budanov's former role.
"Mykhailo is deeply involved in the issues related to the Drone Line and works very effectively on digitalizing public services and processes," Zelensky said. "Together with all our military, the army command, national weapons producers, and Ukraine's partners, we must implement defense-sector changes that will be of help."
According to Ukraine's constitution, the parliament approves the appointment of a defense minister upon the president's proposal.
Fedorov is set to replace Denys Shmyhal, who held the position for less than six months after his appointment in July. According to Zelensky, Shmyhal will take on a "no less important" role elsewhere in the government.
A trusted ally
In 2019, Fedorov, then a businessman from the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, joined Zelensky's team, becoming the chief digital strategist behind his successful virtual presidential campaign.
Later that year, Fedorov took on the role of an advisor to Zelensky before being elected to parliament for the Servant of the People party. Within months, he was appointed deputy prime minister and became the youngest-ever minister in Ukraine, leading the newly created Digital Transformation Ministry.
Over the years, Fedorov implemented the president's vision of a "state within a smartphone" policy as part of his crusade against bureaucracy. The launch of the Diia app in 2020 brought a range of government services directly into people's phones.
Under Fedorov's leadership, the ministry has also spearheaded multiple projects, including drone production and education reforms. He played a key role in launching Brave1, a project that links his ministry with the Defense Ministry to advance military tech.
As government changes took place, Fedorov was reportedly being considered for the post of prime minister. In a 2023 interview, he said that he did not want to take on the role and hoped "it would never happen."
In the fall of 2024, Fedorov was the only government minister with more trust than distrust from Ukrainians, with 31% expressing confidence in him, according to a survey by the Razumkov Center, a Kyiv-based think tank.
Media and some lawmakers suggested there had been tensions between Fedorov, and Andriy Yermak, with the former President's Office head allegedly trying to push the minister out as part of a broader effort to remove popular officials from Zelensky's inner circle.
In late 2024, Ukraine's government stripped Fedorov of his semi-official oversight of the State Special Communications Service (SSCS), responsible for procuring drones. Although the SSCS had previously seen a corruption scandal, the move was viewed by observers at the time as a result of a power struggle with Yermak.
Fedorov dismissed speculations about a conflict with the President's Office.
When Zelensky's team moved to strip the major anti-corruption institutions of their independence in July, sparking mass protests, Fedorov took a different stance, reportedly helping to reverse the situation.
Tech negotiator
Political changes are taking place amid the increasingly difficult situation on the battlefield and crucial peace talks with the U.S., as Washington seeks to end Russia’s all-out war, even if it means compromising on Ukraine's interests.
Unlike other key Ukrainian officials and military leaders, Fedorov has never participated in any of these talks.
Instead, he has become a key negotiator with tech giants. Fedorov is Ukraine's primary contact for U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, owner of the SpaceX company, who later briefly served in the second Trump administration.
After the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Musk quickly responded on X to Fedorov's request for Starlink internet terminals, which soon became crucial to Ukraine's war effort. Despite Musk's controversial comments echoing Russian talking points, the Ukrainian official has maintained contact, emphasizing Ukraine's perspective.
"I manage our relationship very carefully, trying to show that we are highly effective," the minister said in 2023.
