“My job is war”

—Syrskyi’s response
Worth a look.

Ukraine’s defense minister Fedorov was suddenly dismissed, triggering a rare nationwide wave of large-scale public protests. Fedorov had previously publicly said that Ukraine’s Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, Syrskyi, issued a final ultimatum to the president, forcing Zelenskyy to remove him. He also accused Syrskyi of dividing the country and called for the other man to be removed from his post.

The following is an excerpt from Phoenix TV’s “Tianxia Shi”:
To be frank: I’m not interested in working with the media. I don’t build a personal image, and I have no political ambitions—I’m fighting a war. 24/7. That’s precisely why I rarely accept interviews, and I almost never write columns. But in recent days, my silence has begun to be interpreted as acquiescence. Around the armed forces and the General Staff, a whole set of stories about the conflict and sabotage has grown. Therefore, I’m going to lay out everything clearly at once.

About “conflict”
For me, it came as a surprise to learn that there is a conflict between me and Minister. I have always viewed our relationship as a working one: there are complex issues, and there are different positions. During a major war, this is exactly how it should be between two institutions.

If I ever offended anyone for anything: Mykhailo Albertovych, please forgive me. Sometimes I can be harsh, but I also ask you—and all those who are now taking eager interest in this matter: let’s