- The Ukrainian administration undergoes restructuring, leading to the departures of numerous ministers.
Amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukraine's parliament has gone through a significant change, with several ministers stepping down at their own request, initiating a government reshuffle led by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The resignations were accepted from Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, Justice Minister Denys Malyuska, Defense Minister Olexander Kamyshin, and Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets, as reported by Ukrainian media. Only Malyuska and Kamyshin personally appeared in the Verkhovna Rada and spoke about their tenures.
Malyuska, the minister with the longest tenure in Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal's cabinet, chose to step down. Malyuska had been in the position since August 2019. Before his speech, deputies from the presidential party "Servant of the People" gave him a standing ovation. The resignation request of Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, submitted that morning, was not voted on.
The initial attempts to dismiss Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk and the head of the State Property Fund, Vitaliy Koval, failed due to lack of votes. Deputies criticized the haste in holding a vote without the candidates first explaining their work. A repeat vote is scheduled for Thursday. It is reported that Koval is expected to become the new agriculture minister, while Vereshchuk is anticipated to move to the presidential office.
Stefanishyna, however, is set to rejoin the government as deputy prime minister for European and NATO integration and will continue to oversee the justice ministry. Kamyshin is rumored to be getting a new role in the presidential office, with responsibilities in the defense industry. The current deputy energy minister, Svitlana Hryntschuk, is expected to take over as environmental minister.
Key ministries, such as finance, interior, and defense, remain unaffected. The speculation of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal being replaced by the current deputy prime minister and economy minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, seems to be put on hold for now.
Resignation letters from several ministers arrived at the parliament the day prior. The faction leader of the presidential party "Servant of the People", David Arakhamia, had stated that more than half of the ministerial posts would be filled anew. This was preceded by announcements by President Volodymyr Zelensky that the government's work should be improved through new appointments.
Skeptics view the reshuffle as a play for public perception
The reason behind the cabinet reshuffle remains unclear. Many of the dismissed government members are expected to retain high positions, albeit in different roles. Critics view the reshuffle as a ploy to give the impression of change, while the challenging situation at the front and the energy supply problems due to constant Russian attacks on infrastructure are escalating public dissatisfaction with the leadership.
Zelensky himself justified the reshuffle as a necessary reset. "We need fresh energy today," the head of state said, thanking the ministers for their previous work. However, he chose not to comment specifically on the personnel changes.
The opposition parliamentary deputy Iryna Gerashchenko, in a Facebook post after the votes, stated that "10 out of 21 ministers are missing in the Zelensky government today. The government is virtually incapacitated."
The MP, Alexander Dubinsky, who was initially elected for the Zelensky party and is now in detention on charges of high treason, described the situation as "cosmetic changes." "The main reason Ukraine is losing the war against the Russian Federation is the incompetence of the regional governments appointed through Andriy Yermak from the presidential office," he wrote on Telegram. Corruption is also a major concern, and the government reshuffle will not solve these issues. Many observers attribute the changes to the growing influence of the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak.
Ukraine has been battling a Russian invasion for over two and a half years. Prime Minister Shmyhal has been in office since 2020.
The resignation of Justice Minister Denys Malyuska was celebrated with a standing ovation from deputies in the Parliament before his speech. Following the cabinet reshuffle, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna is set to return to her role as deputy prime minister for European and NATO integration, overseeing the justice ministry again.
