©picture alliance / Anadolu | Danylo Antoniuk
The dismissed Ukrainian defense chief, Mychajlo Fedorov, has received a surprising job offer from Italy. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has asked him to come to Rome as an advisor, after personally calling Fedorov the day after his dismissal.
Crosetto told La Repubblica that he sees Fedorov as a man of innovation, someone who, in his view, has helped change the rules of the game on the battlefield. The Italian praised Fedorov’s role in the technological modernization of the Ukrainian military, though he also acknowledged that such innovation faces resistance—not only in Ukraine, but also in countries such as Italy, France, and Germany.
According to Crosetto, Fedorov was “touched” by the offer and saw it as a sign of “respect and friendship,” but it is unclear whether he will accept it. Fedorov himself has not yet publicly responded to the invitation. The offer comes shortly after a major government reshuffle in Kyiv, in which President Volodymyr Zelensky replaced several ministers. Fedorov was removed from his post as part of that reshuffle, which sparked protests in Ukraine, in part because he was very popular with the public. Crosetto, a key figure within Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party, also indicated that he supports further European loans through the SAFE program to finance defense spending, rather than taking on additional national debt. The Italian government is currently weighing exactly how much it will request from that EU fund.
The remarkable job offer underscores the strength of Fedorov’s reputation as an innovator, far beyond Ukraine’s borders. At the same time, it shows how, in wartime, Europe continues to seek new defense ideas—not only militarily but also politically.
©picture alliance / Anadolu | Danylo Antoniuk