Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday he would replace Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and overhaul the cabinet and law-enforcement leadership, opening the biggest government shake-up of his wartime presidency a year after Svyrydenko took the post.
The changes, which require parliamentary approval, would install what Zelenskyy called a new political strategy anchored in dedicated portfolios for the United States, the European Union and priority regions including the Gulf. Zelenskyy offered Svyrydenko a diplomatic role focused on relations with an unnamed "key partner."
"Ukraine is changing its political strategy," Zelenskyy wrote Sunday on X, saying he had discussed the matter with Svyrydenko and agreed that "these changes require a renewal of the Cabinet of Ministers." He did not name a successor. Kyiv Post reported that Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet with candidates Sunday.
What is changing
The president said the reshuffle would create standalone briefs for defense cooperation with Washington, the European anti-ballistic project, EU accession and ties with Poland and Hungary, the Middle East and Gulf, China and international organizations. Domestically, Zelenskyy said the government would need to expand frontline and border support, accelerate weapons and drone procurement, and prepare for the winter energy season.
Svyrydenko's tenure
Svyrydenko, 39, became prime minister in 2025, succeeding Denys Shmyhal. She previously served as first deputy prime minister and economy minister, roles that put her in direct contact with the Trump administration. She was widely credited with negotiating the U.S.-Ukraine critical minerals agreement that thawed early tensions between the two governments. "I am proud to have had the honour of leading the Government during one of the most difficult periods in Ukraine's modern history," Svyrydenko wrote on X. She said she remained "ready to serve the Ukrainian state."
Under Ukraine's constitution, cabinet changes require the approval of the Verkhovna Rada. Lawmakers have largely rallied around Zelenskyy since Russia's February 2022 invasion, Euronews reported. Zelenskyy also flagged upcoming changes in the leadership of law-enforcement agencies without naming officials.
The missing side
No right-leaning coverage of Sunday's announcement appeared in the day's international wires. Ukraine's political opposition, largely muted under martial law, made no immediate public objection to the reshuffle, and the Verkhovna Rada had not received the formal nominations Zelenskyy signaled.
Leaders of the "Coalition of the Willing" backing Ukraine are set to meet in Paris on Monday for talks on ending the war, Euronews reported.