If Ukraine is winning the war, why did Zelenskyy fire his defence minister?

If Ukraine is winning the war, why did Zelenskyy fire his defence minister?

Author: Chatham House July 31, 2026 Duration: 34:56

Ukraine's drone strikes deep into Russian territory coincided with one of Kyiv's biggest political and military convulsions of the war: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov only for his decision to spark protests across the country. Why did Zelenskyy do it? Has the power struggle damaged his authority? Is Ukraine really regaining the initiative in the war? And what will it take to force Russia to the negotiating table?

John Lough examines the potential turning point in the war with Vadym Prystaiko, former Ukrainian ambassador to the UK; Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at Kings College London; and Jaroslava Barbieri of Chatham House's Ukraine Forum.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

Explore Chatham House's latest:

Comment | Ukraine's allies should make an offer to Russians before September's 'elections'

Comment | Will Ukraine's Wildberries attacks force Putin to the negotiating table?

Comment | Ukraine needs help against Russian missiles now. What more can allies do?

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | The Climate Briefing🎧

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

Follow Independent Thinking on your favourite podcast apps.


Hosted by Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox, Independent Thinking brings the institute’s private deliberations into the public ear. This isn’t a rehearsed lecture series, but a direct channel into candid, high-level discussions typically held behind closed doors. Maddox guides conversations with a carefully selected mix of leading policymakers, frontline journalists, and Chatham House’s own deep bench of experts, focusing on the international political issues that are shaping headlines and rewriting global strategies. The tone is analytical yet accessible, privileging substance and nuance over soundbites. Each episode feels like a privileged seat at a crucial roundtable, where complex topics-from shifting alliances and economic sanctions to climate diplomacy and conflict-are unpacked with clarity and intellectual rigor. Listeners gain a clearer understanding of the forces driving world events, hearing diverse perspectives clash and converge in real time. For anyone looking to move beyond the superficial news cycle and engage with the substantive arguments defining our geopolitics, this podcast offers an essential and thoughtful resource. It’s where informed opinion meets the pressing questions of our moment, fostering a deeper kind of political literacy.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Independent Thinking
Podcast Episodes
Is the shock of the US-Iran war helping Europe come together? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:41
EU expansion, energy shocks, and uneasy alliances: will the conflict in the Gulf – and other crises – force a more unified European strategy? This week's episode comes from the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece, where host…
Iran, Pope, Economy: How many battles can Trump fight at once? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:17
From Hormuz to Hungary and the Vatican to the Federal Reserve, it has been an unusually contentious week for the White House, even by the standards of President Trump's second administration. This week's podcast comes fr…
Why are UK energy costs so high? And how to bring them down [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:14
An earlier than usual episode of the Independent Thinking podcast, ahead of the Easter break. In a one-on-one conversation, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox discusses energy with Sir Dieter Helm, Professor of Econom…
Iran war: regional shock or global crisis? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:15
One month on from the start of the US and Israeli war on Iran, governments worldwide are trying to assess the scale of its long-term impact on the global economy and political system. Much will depend on how long the con…
Is Iran one crisis too many for Trump? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:29
The US-Israel war on Iran is straining Trump's alliances, at home and abroad. Three weeks into exactly the kind of war of choice that he spent years decrying, US President Donald Trump is not getting the amount of intern…
AI wars: Anthropic battles the Pentagon as China plans ahead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:59
The US military's AI provider Anthropic is feuding with the Pentagon after the company tried to impose 'red lines' over the use of its artificial intelligence products for lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance…
Trump's tariffs: Are they here to stay? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:25
The US Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump on his first justification for tariffs, but he says he will push them through by other means. On this week's Independent Thinking podcast, our experts analyse why…