Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto offered former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov a position as his adviser, but Fedorov did not accept, Crosetto told La Repubblica in an interview, as reported by Reuters, The Insider, and TV Rain.
Crosetto said he called Fedorov the day after his dismissal and asked: “When do you want to come to Rome and work with me as an adviser?” According to the Italian minister, Fedorov was “touched” and viewed the offer as a sign of respect and friendship.
Crosetto described Fedorov as “one of those people who completely rewrote the rules of the game on the battlefield.” He said Fedorov helped Ukraine first resist the Russian invasion and then regain the initiative by changing combat methods with new technologies.
The Italian minister also acknowledged that Italy cannot continue providing weapons to Ukraine at previous levels. “Initially Ukraine asked: send us everything you have. Today everything is different. Needs have become much more specific: it is about high-tech assistance, including air defense systems and other advanced and rare systems. Demand exceeds supply a hundredfold,” Crosetto said.
Fedorov served as Ukraine's defense minister from January to July 2026. President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed him on July 14 along with the entire government of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. According to Fedorov himself, the reason was his conflict with the military leadership — Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky and Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov.
After Fedorov's dismissal, protests erupted in Ukraine demanding his reinstatement and Syrsky's removal. Zelensky soon dismissed Syrsky as well. The president offered Fedorov the post of deputy prime minister for military innovation, but the former minister said he would only work as defense minister.