Zelenskyy nominates Yulia Svyrydenko as new Ukraine PM in cabinet shake-up

President Zelenskyy taps system curate to pb authorities successful astir important reshuffle since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says helium has recommended Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to go premier curate successful a important governmental shake-up for the war-scarred country.

The announcement connected Monday could herald a wider reshuffle successful the government, 3 and a fractional years into the Russian invasion.

“I person projected that Yuliia Svyrydenko pb the authorities of Ukraine and importantly renew its work,” Zelenskyy wrote connected societal media. “I look guardant to the presumption of the caller government’s enactment program successful the adjacent future.”

The proposal is portion of what helium called “a translation of the enforcement branch” of authorities successful Ukraine.

The 2 discussed “concrete measures to boost Ukraine’s economical potential, grow enactment programs for Ukrainians and standard up our home weapons production”, Zelenskyy said.

Svyrydenko, 39, gained prominence this twelvemonth during fraught negotiations astir a rare minerals deal with the United States that nearly derailed ties betwixt Kyiv and its astir important subject ally.

If the alteration is approved, she would regenerate Denys Shmyhal, who has been premier curate since 2020, the longest immoderate Ukrainian caput of authorities has served since the state gained independency from Moscow successful 1991.

“The authorities needs a alteration due to the fact that radical are exhausted,” said Tymofiy Mylovanov, a erstwhile system curate who worked with Svyrydenko.

Mylovanov, who present heads the Kyiv School of Economics, said the changes would apt bring “a benignant of freshness” aft much than 3 years of war.

In his evening code connected Monday, Zelenskyy announced that helium would nominate Shmyal to go defence minister, saying his “vast experience” would beryllium precise “valuable” successful the position.

“This is precisely the country wherever the country’s maximum resources, maximum tasks and a large woody of work are presently concentrated,” helium explained.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyal be a gathering with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa successful Kyiv, Ukraine March 15, 2022 [Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters]

If the nominations are approved by the parliament, Shmyal would regenerate the existent Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who Zelenskyy has said is nether information for the relation of Ukrainian ambassador to Washington.

Zelenskyy met Umerov implicit the weekend, aft which helium said, “Ukraine needs much affirmative dynamics successful relations with the United States and astatine the aforesaid clip caller steps successful managing the defence assemblage of our state.”

Svyrydenko, who is besides a lawman premier minister, was appointed to negociate Ukraine’s struggling system months earlier the Kremlin launched its full-scale battle successful February 2022.

Her assignment volition necessitate support by parliament, which has mostly agreed astir Zelenskyy since the penetration and is improbable to ballot against the president.