Ukraine’s ousted defence minister plans US trip to raise project funding

(Reuters)

KYIV, Aug 21 – Ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov will go to the United States to raise money for new ​defence technology projects as he seeks new ventures after ‌losing his post, a source close to the former minister told Reuters.

Fedorov’s dismissal from the defence ministry in July led to weeks of protests in ​Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities calling for his reinstatement although they ​have now died down.

In a rupture with President Volodymyr ⁠Zelenskiy on Tuesday, Fedorov became the first leading Ukrainian political ​figure to call for wartime elections, which are prohibited under the constitution.

The ​source denied earlier media reports that Fedorov was going to the U.S. to seek political support for his election call, and said that the tech-savvy, reform-minded ​former minister would not be meeting U.S. politicians or officials.

“Fedorov ​is planning to launch a range of projects related to the war and ‌to ⁠Ukrainian startups,” the source said, without providing any dates.

One of the projects would be an investment fund, the source said.

A proponent of new military technologies and drone warfare since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Fedorov has ​close ties to ​U.S. companies such ⁠as SpaceX and Palantir.

A personal appeal he made to SpaceX owner Elon Musk led to Starlink ​services being turned on over Ukraine at the beginning ​of ⁠the war. Tens of thousands of the company’s satellite internet terminals are now the lifeblood of Ukrainian battlefield communications and important for piloting ⁠drones.

The ​source said Fedorov was continuing to talk ​to Musk about Starlinks, but that no meeting between the two men was currently ​planned.