Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Mariinskyi Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says actions by dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov were misguided. They included Fedorov's involvement in protests and calls for an elections. Zelenskyy also mentioned problematic decisions over defense spending and inaccurate information from the Defense Ministry, which led to an awkward encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump about using Starlink in Russia. Zelenskyy held a meeting with reporters on Saturday and released a transcript on Sunday. He also highlighted Ukraine's growing shortage of Patriot missiles amid intensified Russian attacks. Zelenskyy remained optimistic about battlefield gains. He noted that Ukraine has almost completely recaptured the Dnipropetrovsk region.