Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he intends to nominate current Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who Yulia Svyrydenko is replacing, as defence minister, calling his experience vital during the war.
"Denys Shmyhal's colossal experience will definitely be useful in the position of Minister of Defence of Ukraine — it is in this area that the country's resources are currently at their maximum, tasks are at their maximum, and there is a lot of responsibility," Zelenskyy said in an evening address on Monday.
Zelenskyy said he counted on backing from parliament for the new configuration of his government.
He said Economy Minister Svyrydenko has been offered to take over the premiership, citing her record in boosting Ukrainian production and entrepreneurship.
"I count on sufficient support from the people's deputies for the new configuration of the government of Ukraine. And it is important that the government quickly conducts an audit of all agreements with our partners — what works and what needs to be revised or activated," the president added.
The changes follow his recent meetings with both Shmyhal and Svyrydenko, aimed at restructuring governance to cut bureaucracy, scale up defence production, and redirect resources toward the war effort.
New ambassador to US?
Shmyhal, who has served as prime minister since March 2020, was also recently mentioned in media reports as a potential candidate to replace Oksana Markarova as Ukraine's ambassador to the US.
Zelenskyy said last week he was also considering naming Defence Minister Rustem Umerov as Ukraine's ambassador to Washington.
Zelenskyy met with Umerov over the weekend, after which he said that "Ukraine needs more positive dynamics in relations with the United States and at the same time new steps in managing the defence sector of our state."
The appointments come at a pivotal moment in the three-year conflict.
Direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine on ending the fighting have stalled, while the United States announced earlier that it would boost military support for Kiev in a major about-turn.
