The reshuffle of the Ukrainian government, which began on Tuesday, September 3, with a series of resignations of ministers, continued on Wednesday evening with the publication of a list of candidates for the highest positions of power. This rotation of people for “strengthen the State”, The announcement by the leader of the presidential party Servant of the People, David Arakhamia, after a meeting of the political group, still needs to be approved by Parliament for its implementation.
Criticised by the opposition for its magnitude and timing, it nevertheless confirms the rulers’ desire to replace the very popular Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba with Andrii Sybiha, First Deputy Head of the Foreign Ministry, an experienced diplomat. On Wednesday, the minister, appreciated by the West and a fervent supporter of Ukraine’s entry into NATO, was the latest to submit his letter of resignation as part of the most important ministerial reshuffle since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
“Need for new energy”
The personnel change comes at a crucial time for Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelensky prepares for a fall visit to the United States to present a “victory plan” US President Joe Biden, as well as the two candidates for the November presidential election, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. It also comes a month after the launch of an unprecedented Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, and as Kiev’s armed forces retreat in the face of Russian army attacks in the Donetsk region in the east of the country.
It is in this context that the Ukrainian authorities justified this reorganization, insisting on the need to “strengthen” the Ukrainian state in several key areas. Ukraine has “Need for new energy” after two and a half years of war with Russia, the Ukrainian president said on Wednesday.
The reshuffle is also a breath of fresh air as the prospect of legislative and presidential elections remains blocked for the duration of the war. The Ukrainian president, whose five-year term ended this year, says it is impossible to conduct an election campaign that could divide the country. It would also be very restrictive to hold elections, given the daily bombings, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians in the army and millions of others stationed abroad. These conclusions are shared by the majority of the population, according to the latest opinion polls.
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