Ukrainian parliament confirms new prime minister in major government shake-up — Novaya Gazeta Europe
Svyrydenko, a 39-year-old economist from Chernihiv, northern Ukraine, previously served as the economy minister and first deputy prime minister. She becomes only the second woman to lead Ukraine's cabinet, and the first in the last 15 years.
As the country's economy minister, Svyrydenko notably signed a long-awaited minerals deal between the US and Ukraine in May, which will see the two countries share revenues from Ukraine's natural resources and establish an investment fund for the country's post-war reconstruction.
Her appointment was approved by 262 lawmakers, while 22 voted against and 26 abstained, Rada Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak announced on Telegram Thursday.
Svyrydenko succeeds Denys Shymal, who had served as prime minister since 2020 and is now expected to become defence minister, replacing Rustem Umerov.
'It is a great honour for me to lead the Government of Ukraine today,' Svyrydenko wrote on X following her confirmation, urging the government to 'act swiftly and decisively' amid the ongoing war. 'Our priorities for the first six months are clear: reliable supply for the army, expansion of domestic weapons production, and boosting the technological strength of our defence forces,' she continued.
The Verkhovna Rada is now expected to vote on the remaining cabinet appointments, which were revealed after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky unveiled his proposed lineup for a new government on Wednesday, following the Shmyhal cabinet's formal dissolution.
'Today is the 1240th day of the full-scale war. We all want peace as soon as possible and we want it to be a just peace for Ukraine,' Zelensky told the parliament before Svyrydenko's confirmation on Thursday. 'At the same time, we all see how difficult it is to maintain sufficient support from the world,' he added, noting that Ukraine 'needs more of its own strength'.
Zelensky requested that the new government audit all defence and military programmes to ensure that they are 'implemented to the fullest extent possible in Ukraine's interests', and called for a diplomatic approach towards the US ahead of forthcoming bilateral agreements.
In Ukraine's semi-presidential system, the president has the authority to nominate a prime minister, but the appointment must be approved by parliament. Once confirmed, the prime minister submits nominees for ministerial posts, which also require parliamentary approval.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Novaya Gazeta Europe
a day ago
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Zelensky announces fresh Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul on Wednesday — Novaya Gazeta Europe
Russia and Ukraine will hold a new round of peace talks in Istanbul on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday. Zelensky said in his nightly address that he and National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov had discussed a prisoner exchange with Russia and another meeting in Türkiye with the Russian delegation. Umerov, who served as Ukraine's defence minister until a government reshuffle last week, headed Kyiv's delegation in the previous two rounds of negotiations with Russia in Istanbul in May and June. At a meeting with the heads of Ukraine's foreign diplomatic missions earlier on Monday, Zelensky said that Kyiv's priorities in the fresh talks would be 'the return of prisoners of war, the return of children abducted by Russia, as well as the preparation for a meeting between Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, as 'truly effective talks can only take place at the level of national leaders'. Zelensky has previously voiced his frustration at the 'low level' of the Russian delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, during the first two rounds of negotiations, arguing that 'none of them are people who actually make decisions in Russia' and calling on Putin to meet with him personally. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday that Russia's delegation would be unchanged for the upcoming talks, which Russian state news agency TASS reported would take place on Thursday and Friday. He also played down the chances of a breakthrough on any peace deal with Ukraine, stressing that Moscow and Kyiv's positions on a settlement were 'diametrically opposed' and that 'a lot of diplomatic work' would be required to make progress. Following the last round of talks, Russia presented a draft memorandum demanding Ukraine agree to punishing peace terms, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Russian-occupied regions and their international recognition as part of Russia, limits on the size of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a commitment from Kyiv to remain 'neutral' by renouncing its bid to join NATO. Ukraine, meanwhile, seeks an immediate ceasefire and the return of all prisoners of war and children forcibly removed by Russia, as well as 'no restrictions on its military strength after any peace deal, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces, and reparations' as terms for ending the war.
Novaya Gazeta Europe
5 days ago
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Zelensky offers Trump Ukrainian-made drones for weapons ‘mega-deal' — Novaya Gazeta Europe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is negotiating a 'mega-deal' with US President Donald Trump in which Kyiv and Washington will start buying weapons from each other, Zelensky told The New York Post on Thursday. As part of the proposed deal, the United States would buy 'battle-tested' drones from Ukraine, including those capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 1,300 km, and in exchange Ukraine would buy American weapons. As The New York Post pointed out, Ukrainian drones capable of hitting targets deep inside Russia territory far outstrip US technology in the area, with US drones also lagging far behind developments in both Russia and China. 'The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal,' Zelensky told The New York Post. 'I think this is really a mega deal, a win-win, as they say.' Zelensky said that Ukraine was willing to share the expertise it had accumulated in drone warfare over three years of war with Russia with Washington, adding that Ukraine was also conducting similar negotiations with Denmark, Norway and Germany. The deal is a further sign of warming relations between Kyiv and Washington and of increased cooperation when it comes to arms. On Sunday, Trump said that Washington would provide Kyiv with additional Patriot air defence systems, having become increasingly exasperated with Putin amid continued Russian attacks on Ukraine and Moscow's resistance to a US-brokered ceasefire, according to Axios. Earlier this month, the US temporarily suspended deliveries of weapons and munitions to Ukraine as it reviewed its own stockpiles. Washington has not publicly commented on Zelensky's proposal.
Novaya Gazeta Europe
5 days ago
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
At least 4 killed as Russia launches fresh overnight airstrikes on Ukraine — Novaya Gazeta Europe
At least four people were killed as Russia launched fresh aerial attacks on Ukraine between Thursday night and Friday morning, regional officials have said. In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, Governor Serhiy Lysak said that a 52-year-old man was killed and two more people were injured as Russian drones struck the city of Pavlohrad and surrounding villages overnight. Ukrainian Railways confirmed that the victim was a train driver who was killed when Russia struck an electric locomotive. A separate Russian strike on Friday morning then targeted the city of Kamianske, also in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing a man and a woman, Lysak added. The strikes are the second deadly attack on the Dnipropetrovsk region over the past day, with a drone attack in the early hours of Thursday killing one person in the regional capital Dnipro and injuring 10 more across the region. In the neighbouring Zaporizhzhia region, Russia attacked the village of Stepnohirsk with guided bombs, sparking fires in several apartment blocks and killing a 64-year-old man, Zaporizhzhia Governor Ivan Fedorov said. A further four people were also injured in an overnight strike on the city of Chuhuiv in the northeastern Kharkiv region, Mayor Halyna Minayeva said. Ukraine's Air Force said Russia had launched 35 drones at the country overnight, primarily at 'frontline areas in the east', with air defences intercepting 11 of the drones over northern and eastern Ukraine and six more failing to reach their targets. Strikes were recorded by 18 drones at five locations, it added. Russia's Defence Ministry said it had downed 67 Ukrainian drones over eight regions of the country overnight, as well as 18 over annexed Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. In the wake of the overnight attacks, Russian-installed authorities in Crimea announced a peninsula-wide ban on sharing footage of the aftermath of drone strikes online, citing the need 'to ensure public safety in the republic and protect military and other critical facilities'.
