A huge government reshuffle is currently underway in Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes to boost confidence in his cabinet as well as prepare for a shift in the dynamic of the war against Russia.
“Autumn will be extremely important for Ukraine. And our state institutions should be configured so that Ukraine achieves all the results that we need—for all of us,” he said on Tuesday.
The biggest name to announce his resignation on Wednesday, September 4th, was Dmytro Kuleba, who has been foreign minister for the past four years, including during the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022. Apart from Zelensky, Kuleba has been the most well-known face of the Kyiv government, attending international meetings and lobbying for Western weapons for Ukraine.
On Tuesday, five other ministers stepped down from their roles: Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, as well as the justice, environment and reintegration ministers. At least five portfolios have been vacant since ministers were fired or resigned earlier this year, including the important agriculture and infrastructure ministries.
The new appointments are likely to be approved later this week.
Oleksandr Kamyshin, who has spearheaded Ukraine’s effort to ramp up defence production, will continue working in the defence sector but in a different role. Since he took over defence production, Ukraine has produced thousands of long-range drones to attack Russia, Reuters reports.
The restructuring appears to be the biggest shake-up of Zelensky’s government since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Since the invasion, Russia has seized control of around a fifth of Ukrainian territory, which includes the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014. Russian forces are slowly advancing in the east of Ukraine while Ukrainian troops started an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region a month ago—a move Zelensky says puts Ukraine in a better bargaining position to bring the war closer to an end on “fair” terms, and to prove to his Western allies that attacking Russia has no consequences, despite threats made by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
In retaliation, Moscow has intensified drone and missile attacks in recent weeks. At least fifty people, including soldiers, were killed on Tuesday by two missiles in the central Ukrainian town of Poltava in the deadliest single attack of the war this year.
Zelensky identified five top priorities for a new government, including improving relations with NATO, advancing Ukraine’s EU membership status, and strengthening the country’s growing defence industry through foreign investments.
Zelensky will travel to the United States this month to present a “victory plan” to U.S. President Joe Biden, as well as to presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Nobody knows what the peace plan entails, but Zelensky has said “the main point of this plan is to force Russia to end the war” in a way that is “fair to Ukraine.” He will especially have to convince Trump, who, if he becomes president, wants to reduce funding for Ukraine and bring an end to the war as soon as possible.
Russia has shown little interest in any peace deal, and the Kremlin said on Wednesday that Ukraine’s government reshuffle would not affect potential peace talks with Russia.
