Andrii Onistrat, a banker, entrepreneur and retired combat officer, says former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov is right not to react to the ongoing public protests calling for his return to government.
Onistrat made the remarks in an episode of the "Money of War" podcast on LIGA.net's YouTube channel, commenting on Fedorov's first interview since his resignation, published by Ukrainska Pravda on July 29.
In that interview, Fedorov did not address the protesters directly. He acknowledged only that the demonstrations were not paid events, as some Telegram channels had claimed, but an expression of genuine public engagement.
Onistrat said Fedorov's restrained approach was understandable and correct on both counts. Asking people to keep coming out would amount to shooting himself in the foot, he said, because it would signal a political stance, while Fedorov had insisted he was not accumulating political capital. Asking demonstrators to disperse would be equally wrong, Onistrat added, because Fedorov had not asked them to take to the streets in the first place and should not be the one to ask them to leave.
Protests calling for Fedorov's reinstatement as Defense Minister have been held across Ukrainian cities since July 16, the day after his final departure from the role became public. Fedorov has declined offers of other government positions, saying he wants to complete the reforms he started.
On July 15 it became known that President Volodymyr Zelensky would not nominate Fedorov as Defense Minister in the new government.
Journalist and military serviceman Yuriy Butusov told LIGA.net that the only factor capable of bringing Fedorov back to the post would be the position of Ukraine's Western partners.
On July 31, a "Protest March for Dialogue and Reforms" took place in Kyiv, drawing thousands. Organisers said the march was a new format, distinct from the regular nightly rallies, intended to attract broader participation. That day, Fedorov reposted a message on Threads saying such trust could not be betrayed, then replied that he would not betray it and thanked supporters.
Onistrat said he was pleased that Fedorov had stated openly that he is not a politician, is not building a career and still considers himself a member of the team. He said the statement had encouraged him, and that he wants to insist that the team does not fall apart.
