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Zelenskyy's cabinet overhaul brings in allies who can deal with Trump
Bloomberg
By Volodymyr Verbianyi, Olesia Safronova and Daryna Krasnolutska
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's cabinet overhaul this week was part of an effort to move into position presidential loyalists who can potentially win favor with Donald Trump.
The new prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, took office 11 weeks after her team at the Economy Ministry secured a deal with the US over access to Ukraine's natural resources.
That agreement, which gave Trump a win in an otherwise fruitless effort to end Russia's war on Ukraine, came together after weeks of grinding negotiations. Svyrydenko, who took the lead on the talks in the weeks after Zelenskyy was upbraided by Trump and his team in the Oval Office, rushed to Washington at the end of April to sign the deal.
Zelenskyy had been deliberating replacing long-time premier Denys Shmyhal with Svyrydenko, a 39-year-old former presidential aide, since last year, according to people familiar with his thinking. Her role in the stormy negotiations with the Americans clinched his decision to make the change, the people said, on condition of anonymity.
The reshuffle coincides with an about-face in the US administration, with Trump — who had for months belittled Ukraine's wartime leader — turning his ire on Vladimir Putin. The US leader has grown frustrated with the Russian president's refusal to entertain a ceasefire.
That turn culminated this week in Trump's threat to impose stiff tariffs on Moscow and pledge to send fresh weapons to Kyiv — though relying on funding from Nato's European allies.
Mid-Air Negotiations
With uncertainty over how long the Trump turn may last, the Ukrainian government has moved quickly to align with the more favorable circumstances.
Svyrydenko's efforts on the resources deal helped turn around what had been a potentially dire ultimatum for Kyiv. Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Penta Research Institute in Kyiv, said initial US demands that would effectively make Kyiv permanently indebted to Washington were 'neutralized.'
When the then-economy minister jumped on a plane to Washington, a framework agreement was to be followed by a range of technical accords. In mid-air, Svyrydenko's team was informed the Americans wanted to sign all simultaneously as an overall agreement.
A deal was reached, covering resources including oil and gas, graphite and aluminum, just as Trump marked his first 100 days in office. One advantage was her good rapport with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, one of the people said.
'Svyrydenko managed to avoid risks in the resources deal and proved herself successful as a negotiator,' Fesenko said in an interview, sealing her path to the premiership.
Her promotion aligns with Zelenskyy's long-standing penchant — one that's invited criticism — for empowering loyalists at the expense of others outside the circle of the president and his powerful top aide, Andriy Yermak. Svyrydenko climbed the ranks from state administration in the Chernihiv region to high office in Kyiv. As economy minister, she was first deputy prime minister until this week.
Svyrydenko was the only candidate Zelenskyy was considering for the new premier after he observed her work in the government, a person said. She proved her ability to tackle Ukraine's biggest challenges of securing more financing and to boost economic growth during her time at the Economy Ministry, the person said.
Alongside the new premier, several others involved in the resources accord were promoted. Former Deputy Economy Minister Taras Kachka was appointed as Svyrydenko's deputy to oversee European Union integration.
And while Zelenskyy initially considered his defense chief, Rustem Umerov, as ambassador to the US, he ultimately chose former deputy premier and Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna. She was part of multiple delegations to the US during talks over resources and is well-known in Washington, a person said.
'The American track is very important, and we have at least three axes of cooperation — the resources fund, the trade deal, and the weapons agreement,' Svyrydenko told reporters in Kyiv on Friday.
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