Ukraine's Zelensky seeks shakeup with new prime minister
"I have proposed that Yuliia Svyrydenko lead the government of Ukraine and significantly renew its work," Zelensky wrote on social media, posting a picture of the two.
"I look forward to the presentation of the new government's action plan in the near future," Zelensky added.
Svyrydenko, 39, gained prominence this year during fraught negotiations around a rare minerals deal with the United States that nearly derailed ties between Kyiv and its most important military ally.
Shortly after Zelensky's announcement, she said Ukraine faced a "crucial time" and listed her priorities as "strengthening" Ukraine's economy, expanding domestic support programmes and scaling up weapons production.
Ukraine's economy has been decimated by the Russian invasion, and Kyiv is reliant on tens of billions of dollars in annual support from Western countries to stay afloat.
If the change is approved, Svyrydenko would replace Denys Shmygal, who became prime minister in 2020, before the war.
"The government needs a change because people are exhausted," said Tymofiy Mylovanov, a former economy minister who worked with Svyrydenko.
Mylovanov, who now heads the Kyiv School of Economics, said the changes would likely bring "a sort of freshness" after three and a half years of war.
Zelensky said last week he is also considering naming Defence Minister Rustem Umerov as Ukraine's ambassador to Washington.
Zelensky 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 defense sector of our state."
Svyrydenko, who is also a deputy prime minister, was appointed to manage Ukraine's struggling economy months before the Kremlin launched its full-scale assault in February 2022.
Her appointment as prime minister will require approval by parliament, which has largely united around Zelensky since the invasion and is unlikely to vote against him.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
22 minutes ago
- France 24
Israeli airline's Paris offices daubed with red paint, slogans
Anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian slogans and inscriptions, including "Free Palestine" and "El Al Genocide Airline", were written on the entrance which, along with the pavement, was also daubed with red paint overnight Wednesday to Thursday. "I condemn the barbaric and violent act against El Al and expect the law enforcement authorities in France to locate the criminals and take strong action against them," Israel's Transport Minister Miri Regev wrote on X. The act was the result of announcements by President Emmanuel Macron that "make gifts to" Palestinian militant group Hamas, she added -- an apparent reference to his announcement last month that France plans to recognise a Palestinian state. Israel's ambassador to France Joshua Zarka, visiting the scene, described the vandalism as an "act of terrorism" that aims to "terrorise El Al employees, terrorise Israeli citizens, scare them and try to make them feel that they are not welcome." According to El Al, quoted by Israeli TV channel N12, "the incident occurred while the building was empty and there was no danger to the company's employees. "El Al proudly displays the Israeli flag on the tail of its aircraft and condemns all forms of violence, particularly those based on anti-Semitism," the national airline added. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot condemned the "acts of vandalism" on X, saying that "acts of hatred and antisemitism have no place" in France. Authorities have opened an investigation into acts of property damage committed on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality or religion, Paris's public prosecutor's office told AFP. In early June, several Jewish sites in Paris were sprayed with green paint. Three Serbs were charged and placed under arrest and are suspected by investigators of having acted to serve the interests of a foreign power, possibly Russia. The October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel that sparked the war between Israel and Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Out of 251 hostages seized during Hamas's attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The Israeli offensive has killed at least 61,258 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry which are considered reliable by the United Nations. bla-dmv-sjw-ekf/jj
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
Dr. Gershon Baskin: 'Hamas is ready for a deal that will release all Israeli hostages in 24 hours'
12:11 07/08/2025 Relatives of hostages protest with Gaza flotilla ahead of Israeli security meeting Middle East 07/08/2025 Israel's Netanyahu says wants to take control of all of Gaza, doesn't intend to 'govern' it Middle East 07/08/2025 Netanyahu's far-right coalition: What's next for the West Bank and Gaza? Middle East 06/08/2025 Nuclear weapons states no longer respect 'legal commitment to non-proliferation treaty' Asia / Pacific 06/08/2025 'The memories of the horrors of nuclear war and radiation seem to be lost on today's leaders' Asia / Pacific 06/08/2025 Netanyahu signals possible Gaza war expansion amid ongoing bombing Middle East 05/08/2025 War-torn Gaza resident and humanitarian worker recounts harrowing plight of civilians under siege Middle East 05/08/2025 Is the US 'complicit in the war crimes being carried out by Israel in Gaza'? Middle East 05/08/2025 Israel reopens Gaza private goods trade Middle East
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
France strikes down return of banned bee-killing pesticide
The so-called "Duplomb law" sparked public anger for permitting a return of acetamiprid -- a chemical known to be toxic to bees and other creatures but relied on by some European farmers. A student-led petition against the bill garnered more than two million signatures after lawmakers adopted it on July 8, with critics saying it was rushed through a divided lower house of parliament without a proper debate. The Constitutional Council said in its ruling that a provision in the bill allowing exemptions to the ban of products containing neonicotinoid chemicals such as acetamiprid would violate France's environmental charter, which has constitutional status. In 2020, the council had granted a temporary exemption to the ban, limited to the beet sector and seed coating. But the ruling said this measure did not give enough detail about how long the pesticides could be used, how they would be applied, or which crops they would affect. The legislature undermined "the right to live in a balanced and healthy environment" enshrined in the charter, the council said. "Neonicotinoids have an impact on biodiversity, in particular on pollinating insects and birds, as well as consequences for water and soil quality, and pose risks to human health," the council said. The Constitutional Council approved two other measures in the law: one allowing for the construction of water storage for agricultural purposes, and another raising thresholds at which pig and poultry farms require prior authorisation. French President Emmanuel Macron took "note" of the ruling, his office said on Thursday. The president will enact the law as soon as possible in a form that takes the ruling into account, the Elysee said. -'Bee-killer'- Banned in France since 2018, acetamiprid remains legal in the European Union, and proponents said that some French farmers needed it to help them compete economically. The insecticide is particularly sought after by beet and hazelnut growers, who say that they have no alternative against pests and face unfair competition. But a petition on France's lower-house National Assembly's website, which garnered more than 2.1 million signatures, called the measure a "frontal attack on public health". Beekeepers have described the chemical as "a bee killer", and its possible effects on humans are also a source of concern, though its risk remains unclear in the absence of large-scale studies. For some opponents, frustration stretched beyond environmental and health concerns to exasperation over the country's political deadlock. One supporter of the petition called it "democratic revenge" after Macron forced a controversial pension reform through parliament in 2023 and dissolved the lower chamber last year, sparking political turmoil that resulted in a hung parliament. In late June, before the law's passage, several thousand demonstrators — including farmers, environmental organisations and scientists -- rallied across France calling for the bill to be withdrawn.
