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“I am tendering my resignation from the post of the Prime
Minister of Ukraine,” Denys Shmyhal wrote in a letter posted on
his Telegram page.
Zelenskyy said Monday that he has offered Shmyhal's job to
39-year-old Yuliia Svyrydenko, who is currently deputy prime
minister and the country’s first female economy minister.
Svyrydenko played a key role in negotiating a U.S.–Ukraine
mineral agreement. She has frequently represented Ukraine in
high-level talks with Western partners, focusing on defense
cooperation, economic recovery and reconstruction.
It wasn't immediately clear how the reshuffle will play out in
coming days, as the Ukrainian parliament must schedule a vote on
Zelenskyy’s proposed changes amid the all-out war launched by
Russia on Feb. 24, 2022.
The reshuffle coincides with increasing pressure on the front
line by Russia’s bigger army and escalating assaults by drones
and missiles on Ukrainian cities.
U.S. President Donald Trump pledged Monday to supply more
weapons for Ukraine, paid for by European countries. But Kyiv
officials are keen to lock in Washington’s future support amid
fears that the Republican administration could walk away from
the conflict.
“To us it is very important, in the context of what is happening
now, to strengthen ties with the U.S.,” Zelenskyy said last
week.
The Ukrainian leader recently said that he thought Shmyhal would
make a good defense minister — a move that would make the
current defense chief, Rustem Umerov, available to take over as
Ukraine’s envoy to Washington, observers note.
Zelenskyy had previously voiced his intention to replace U.S.
Ambassador Oksana Markarova.
Umerov, 43, was appointed as Ukraine’s defense minister in
September 2023, following a series of corruption scandals. He
has sought to introduce reforms, but critics said that the
Defense Ministry was plagued by mismanagement.
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