A growing political rift is emerging at the highest levels of power in Kyiv as former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mikhailo Fedorov pursues an independent political and defence agenda after being removed from government by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in July.
Fedorov, 35, has since expanded his presence in the media and on social networks while openly criticising the government’s approach to the war against Russia. Outside the government structure, he is now seeking international financing to establish a private defence company aimed at developing military technologies for Ukraine. On Tuesday, during a visit to Washington, he announced Palantir as a partner in the project.
The initiative follows a rapid political rise that saw Fedorov become Ukraine’s youngest Defence Minister. He had previously served as Minister of Digital Transformation from 2019 and as deputy prime minister until January. During the full-scale Russian invasion, he became associated with Ukraine’s successful development of drone warfare.
Since leaving government, however, Fedorov has increasingly argued that Ukraine is failing to make effective use of available technologies and lacks a strategy capable of leading the country towards victory. In an interview with Reuters, he said Ukraine was at a turning point and appeared to be “losing gradual and slowly”. He also argued that technologies already existed that could stop Russian forces but were not being deployed because of a lack of vision, claiming that the state was operating at only 5% of its capabilities.
His new initiative has added another dimension to the political dispute. In Washington, Fedorov has been seeking backing for a defence technology investment fund that would invest in Ukrainian defence technology companies and create new firms around technologies considered critically necessary on the battlefield.
The priorities include ground robots and drones designed to reduce the number of soldiers exposed to the most dangerous areas of the front, drone interceptors and inexpensive missiles capable of attacking through artificial intelligence.
The involvement of Palantir has attracted particular scrutiny. Fedorov announced that Alex Karp, the company’s founder alongside Peter Thiel, would be the “first major investor”. Karp and Fedorov have said they have worked together for five years, while Karp has described the project as important for the world.
The prospect of a former defence minister with intimate knowledge of Ukraine’s military, defence industry, battlefield data and technological strategy establishing a private defence company has prompted criticism. Former British serviceman Shaun Pinner questioned what could happen when such knowledge is combined with investment from one of the world’s most powerful and controversial defence and data companies.
Fedorov has also emerged as a critic of Ukraine’s wartime political arrangements. After his dismissal, he called for elections, despite widespread doubts that they could be held in the near term under martial law. He argued that complexity did not mean impossibility and warned that Ukrainian democracy had been “kidnapped” by Russia.
The position has drawn criticism from Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian politicians. Opposition MP Oleksiy Goncharenko said elections during the war were not viable for security reasons, while also accusing Fedorov of placing personal interests ahead of those of the country. Goncharenko has summoned the former minister to appear before a parliamentary temporary investigative commission over his allegations of corruption.
Fedorov has also been appointed an adviser on modern warfare to Italy’s Defence Ministry and was received by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto before travelling to the United States.
His growing international role has raised further concerns in Kyiv. Goncharenko accused Fedorov of leaving Ukraine despite being summoned by parliament and warned that his activities could create a risk of military technology being leaked. He also said Fedorov’s cooperation with Italy could potentially lead to criminal proceedings.
Meanwhile, Fedorov’s complicated relationship with Ukraine’s political leadership extends to Elon Musk. He has been credited with securing Musk’s cooperation over Starlink, while Zelenskiy recently awarded Musk one of Ukraine’s major decorations. Fedorov has sought expanded use of Starlink, including in Russian territory, but has not been seen with Musk and there is no indication that the request has been accepted.
What began as the rapid rise of a technology-focused minister has therefore developed into an increasingly public confrontation over Ukraine’s war strategy, political future and control of sensitive defence capabilities.
