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The dispute began after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed last week that Ukraine had handed over two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting alongside Russian forces.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 450 drones heading for the capital had been shot down in what he called an "unprecedented attack".
Putin has repeatedly rejected offers for a face-to-face meeting with Zelensky aimed at brokering an end to more than four years of war.
Ukraine has suspended elections under martial law, a measure still widely supported by the population as the country focuses on fighting off the Russian invasion launched in 2022.
Fedorov, who did not directly mention Zelensky in his video, was unexpectedly removed as defence minister in late July, only six months after taking up the position.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki confirmed the decision, linking it directly to Ukraine’s recent naming of a unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). He strongly criticised the move, saying it reopened painful historical issues and damaged mutual trust between the two countries.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was deliberately using the severe cold as part of its war approach, accusing Moscow of taking advantage of winter to deepen suffering. Overnight temperatures in Kyiv have recently dropped to around -20C, making the loss of heating, power and water even more dangerous for households.
Freeland’s career has long blended domestic and international leadership. In 2014, she was added to a Kremlin blacklist of Western officials banned from entering Russia in response to Canadian and Western sanctions. As finance minister in 2020, she oversaw Canada’s economic response to the Covid-19 pandemic, becoming the first woman in the country to hold the position.
Zelensky said the meeting is expected to take place on Sunday and will centre on a US-backed peace framework that contains 20 key points, alongside separate proposals dealing with security guarantees for Ukraine. He said the talks could play a decisive role as negotiators push to finalise the plan.
Despite Zelensky’s statement, experts say practical challenges make wartime elections difficult. Soldiers on the front line may be unable to vote, millions of Ukrainians are displaced abroad, and extensive security measures would be required to ensure a fair process.
While the White House expressed optimism on Monday, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the administration “feels very optimistic” about a potential agreement, Zelensky offered a more cautious assessment on X, noting the talks were “very constructive” but that “some tough issues still have to be worked through.”
Yermak’s exit could weaken Ukraine’s position in upcoming talks, with US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll expected in Kyiv this week under the Trump peace initiative. In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin has endorsed a Hungarian offer to host a possible Trump-Putin summit, maintaining pressure on Kyiv.