Syrskyi apologizes to Fedorov and urges people "not to focus on personal matters"

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, apologized to former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and called for the war not to be politicized. He made this statement in a column for "Militarnyi" on Monday, July 20.

Syrskyi stated that he was surprised to learn of the conflict with Fedorov. According to him, he viewed his relationship with the defense minister as a working relationship between two institutions during wartime—one marked by complex issues and differing positions.

“If I’ve offended anyone in any way: Mykhailo Albertovych, I apologize. I can be harsh at times. But I ask you, and everyone who is now following this story with such interest: let’s focus not on the personal, but on the bigger picture. On victory. Because there is an idea more important than any individual name: Ukraine is greater than Fedorov, Syrskyi, and any one of us,” the Commander-in-Chief emphasized.

In his view, the greatest favor we could do for the enemy would be to reduce the war to a confrontation between two individuals. Currently, people have begun dividing into “Fedorov’s camp” and “Syrskyi’s camp,” which politicizes issues related to the war and reduces them to slogans, Syrskyi noted.

“And each of the issues currently being debated online—contracts, procurement, mobilization—is far more complex than any social media post about it. Decisions that affect people’s lives are not made based on slogans,” the Commander-in-Chief stated.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on July 20, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine General Oleksandr Syrskyi continues to perform his duties. Reports of his dismissal are untrue.