Zelensky names candidate for defense minister
14 July 22:37
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to nominate Denys Shmyhal for the post of Minister of Defense of Ukraine. The head of state said this in an evening video address, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
Zelenskyy said that the experience of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal would be useful in the position of Defense Minister.
“Denys Shmyhal’s tremendous experience will definitely be useful as Minister of Defense of Ukraine – this is the area where the country’s resources are maximized, where there are maximum tasks and a lot of responsibility,” the head of state emphasized.
The President recalled that he hadspoken with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko and offered her to head the government of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy added that he sees a renewed government based on Svyrydenko’s experience in supporting Ukrainian production and Ukrainian entrepreneurship.
“I am counting on sufficient support from the people’s deputies for the new configuration of the government of Ukraine. And it is important that the government quickly conducts an audit of all agreements with our partners – what works and what needs to be revised or intensified,” the President said.
Who is Yulia Svyrydenko?
Yulia Svyrydenko is a native of Chernihiv. She was born on December 25, 1985. In 2008, she graduated with honors from the Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics, after which she completed a number of postgraduate programs.
In the same year, she started working as an economist at the Kyiv-based real estate company AMP JSC. In 2011, she left the business sector and became the head of Chernihiv’s representative office in Wuxi, China. Her task was to attract Chinese investment. One of the results was the creation of Eco-Vtor, a company with 100% foreign capital in Chernihiv.
Svyrydenko has been in public service since 2015. She was an advisor to the head of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration, headed the Department of Economic Development, and later became the first deputy head of the RSA. During her tenure, the region received more than $340 million in foreign direct investment, the highest figure among Ukrainian regions at the time.
In 2019, she moved to the Ministry of Economy, where she worked as a deputy minister and later as a first deputy. In 2020, Svyrydenko became deputy head of the Presidential Office, overseeing economic issues and investor relations. She also chairs the Business Promotion Council.
on November 4, 2021, she was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine. Svyrydenko participated in the work of the Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas and was a member of the Supervisory Board of Naftogaz of Ukraine.
Possible reshuffle in the government
For several weeks now, rumors have been circulating on the sidelines about changes in the Cabinet of Ministers. According to RBK-Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is preparing a reshuffle of the government and diplomatic representatives, including the ambassador to the United States.
Among the possible candidates for key positions are current Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanyshyna, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. However, most attention is focused on Yulia Svyrydenko.
The president has already decided to offer her the post of prime minister.
The current Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has been heading the government since March 2020, and his term is the longest in the history of independent Ukraine. At the same time, most members of the government have changed during this time. The last major Cabinet reshuffle took place in September 2024.
According to media reports, a vote on a new prime ministerial candidate in parliament may take place as early as July 15-17.
