A Political Maneuver in Parliament: Why Public Pressure Didn’t Stop 312 Lawmakers from Supporting Khmara, and What Will Happen to Fedorov
20 August 15:06
ANALYSIS FROM 
The talks with Mykhailo Fedorov have come to a definitive end —he will receive no further offers from the government, and his attempts to issue ultimatums have proven futile. This is the conclusion experts have reached following the final personnel appointments in the security and diplomatic sectors. Yevhenia Khmara has been appointed Minister of Defense, and Andriy Sibiga has been confirmed as head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some describe the newly appointed head of the Ministry of Defense, Yevheniya Khmara, as an experienced “combat general who knows her stuff,” while others accuse her of being willing to follow political directives and of avoiding specifics regarding procurement. How did the Verkhovna Rada manage to reach a consensus amid public pressure, and how do members of parliament and experts assess the new ministers? Read more in the article
On August 19, combat general Yevhen Khmara was appointed Minister of Defense, and Andriy Sybiga was confirmed as head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The vote took place amid high public tension and protests that have been ongoing for over a month. Despite significant public pressure and the demands made, parliament supported the proposed candidates by a majority vote. Andriy Sibiga received the support of 266 members of parliament, while Yevhen Khmara received 312 “yes” votes. Although the decision regarding Yevhen Khmara garnered more than a constitutional majority, two lawmakers from across the chamber did press the “red button ”: Valentyna Korolenko-Usova —a member of parliament from the “Servant of the People” faction—and Dmytro Kostyuk —an independent member of parliament. Korolenko-Usova explained her decision based on her principled stance that military personnel should remain on active duty. Kostiuk noted that despite voting “against,” he hopes the new head of the Defense Ministry will successfully carry out his duties and is ready to support the ministry’s work.
What are the members of parliament saying?
In the session hall, lawmakers first and foremost closely monitored compliance with the letter of the law, which requires that the defense minister be a civilian. Georgiy Mazurashu, a member of parliament from the “Servant of the People” faction, commented on this to
“As for Yevhen Khmara, as far as I could see, my colleagues focused, first and foremost, on ensuring there was no violation of the law, which stipulates that the defense minister must be a civilian. He said he resigned under Article 26 of the Law on Military Duty and Military Service. And that eased the tension—with respect for him as a combat general, the votes exceeded the constitutional majority,” Georgiy Mazurashu concluded.
Based on the wishes of the majority of voters, the main requirement for the new ministers and the entire government is to work with respect for the citizens of Ukraine, both military and civilian.
“Personally, based on the position of the clear majority of voters who supported the President and me, I hope that the newly appointed ministers (and the government as a whole) will work with respect for Ukrainians! Both military personnel and civilians,” Mazurashu noted.
Georgiy Mazurashu emphasized the unacceptability of two important issues to which society is reacting strongly. First, in his view, representatives of the Ukrainian state should not appeal to international partners to withhold support or seek the forced return to Ukraine of citizens of draft age (men aged 18–60) who have left the country due to the war.
Second, the lawmaker drew attention to the need to put an end to instances of abuse or violations of civilians’ rights by people in uniform—both military personnel and police officers—which violate the Constitution, existing laws, and common sense.
Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of parliament from the “Holos” faction, spoke about the background to the vote, the legal status of the new head of the Defense Ministry, and the nuances of considering personnel matters in the plenary hall. According to the MP, during the faction’s evening meeting with the candidates, the issue of compliance with the legal requirement to appoint a civilian to the position of defense minister was raised separately.
“I asked how he had resigned… because he cited Article 26 of the law, according to which a senior officer, a general, may resign. Therefore, we can now speak of a situation where Khmara was appointed as a civilian. The meeting was brief but substantive; he answered all the questions,” noted Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
The lawmaker emphasized that the relevant committee on national security and defense, which includes representatives from various factions, unanimously supported Khmara’s candidacy, and that media rumors about a lack of votes or intrigue were unfounded.
At the same time, MP Mariana Bezuhla offered a critical assessment of Yevhen Khmara’s remarks at the faction meeting.
“Khmara was asked questions—he didn’t answer a single one, just gave general answers. When asked about procurement policy, all we heard was that he works with the General Staff. And when asked what to do if the General Staff’s needs lag behind the demands of modern warfare, he simply ‘froze.’ The Ministry of Defense needs vision and oversight, not merely a logistics function,” says Bezuhla.
What do the experts say?
Commenting on these decisions, Taras Zagorodniy, managing partner of the National Anti-Crisis Group, said in a comment
The expert fully supported the appointment of the new head of the Defense Ministry, stressing the importance of having the military and security sector led by people with real combat experience, rather than random individuals.
“Well, they appointed Khmara—that’s very good; he’s a combat general. I’m in favor of having military personnel run the Ministry of Defense because they know how it’s done… I think it’s the right choice. They didn’t give in to pressure from obscure people on the street. And they appointed someone who understands what military affairs are all about,” says Zagorodniy.
Regarding Andriy Sibiga’s continued tenure, Zagorodniy noted that the expert community has no serious objections to his competence or qualifications.
“Sybiga was also approved by a vote. In principle, there are no particular objections to him. He is generally considered a sufficiently qualified person… So, all in all, it’s a reasonable appointment,” said Taras Zagorodniy.
Former MP Boryslav Bereza commented on the appointment of Yevhen Khmara as head of the Ministry of Defense, citing both his professional achievements and his personal experience.
“To be honest, I had a favorable impression of him because of his actions as head of the Central Security Office of the Security Service of Ukraine. But when he, on Zelenskyy’s orders, signed the motion for sanctions against me, my sympathy for him noticeably diminished, although my respect for his achievements hasn’t gone anywhere. […] Malyuk refused to sign the motion for sanctions against me. Well, there you go…,” says Bereza.
What will become of Fedorov?
Separately, Taras Zagorodniy commented on the situation surrounding Mykhailo Fedorov and his statements, which were met with public discontent. In Zagorodniy’s view, attempts at ultimatums are futile.
“I think the conversation with Fedorov is over. He was offered a position on the team, but not as defense minister; he started making ultimatums there… I think he can go and do something else,” Zagorodniy concluded.
Despite political debates and attempts at internal and external pressure, state institutions are demonstrating their ability to make pragmatic decisions to strengthen the country’s security. However, the real test for Yevhen Khmara and Andriy Sybiga will not be a high vote count in the session hall, but their actual effectiveness on the front lines and in diplomatic channels. The stability of the country’s entire defense and foreign policy system depends precisely on their ability to act professionally and autonomously.
Watch us on YouTube: important topics – without censorship
