Fedorov reveals post-ministry plans: venture fund, think tank, teaching
Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that after leaving government he will set up a venture fund for defense startups, an analytical think tank, and will also teach at universities. He also plans civic activity aimed at preparing the country for a return to democracy.
Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov outlined his plans following his departure from government in an interview with Channel 24. He said he intends to keep pursuing the plan he brought to the ministry, called "Air-Land-Economy," which envisioned protecting the skies, halting Russian advances and depleting Russia's economy. Fedorov acknowledged that this plan is hard to achieve without effective managers and system reform, so he added another element called "Democracy."
A venture fund for defense technology
One of his main new endeavors will be launching a venture fund to attract Western capital for investment in Ukrainian startups and developers. Fedorov named several priorities, including cheap AI-guided missiles, as well as robotization and sensorization of the front line. He said ways must be found to remove infantry from the front line, since future assaults will be carried out by drones and robots ahead of troops, while the battlefield should be saturated with sensors that detect enemy infantry movement and enable rapid reconnaissance and destruction of the enemy. He noted this work had already begun at the Defense Ministry and he wants to continue it in the private sector, bringing Western investment into various projects in Ukraine.
Think tank and teaching
A second project will be a think tank bringing together analysts and policy-makers who generate ideas for stopping the war and defeating Russia, as well as a vision for further stages of the war and recommendations to the government. Fedorov said additional AI- and defense-tech-related startups could also emerge from this work.
The former minister also plans to partially engage in civic activity focused on preparing the country for a return to democracy, saying he has a large, talented team he wants to support. He additionally plans to teach a course on reforms at several universities and is already assisting a number of foundations working on reforms and preparing partner investments tied to government changes.
