The country’s longest-serving prime minister, Denis Shmigal, is set to take charge of the defense ministry
Prime Minister Denis Shmigal has officially submitted his resignation to the Ukrainian parliament, a day after Vladimir Zelensky announced his replacement and named him the country’s next defense chief.
Shmigal has held the post since early 2020, serving an extended term after parliamentary and presidential elections were indefinitely postponed due to martial law. He posted a copy of his resignation letter on Telegram on Tuesday, thanking his team for their “tireless work” – and Zelensky personally for his “trust” over the years.
“Denis Shmigal’s extensive experience will definitely be valuable in the position of Ukraine’s defense minister,” Zelensky said on Monday, selecting him to replace Rustem Umerov as the third defense chief since the escalation of the conflict with Moscow.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has faced multiple corruption scandals in recent years, with former defense chief Aleksey Reznikov stepping down in 2023 to join a NATO-affiliated NGO in Slovakia. Outgoing minister Umerov, who also led Ukraine’s delegation in negotiations with Russia in Istanbul, will reportedly become Ukraine’s new ambassador to the US.
Zelensky has nominated Shmigal’s deputy and Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko as the next prime minister. Sviridenko, 39, gained prominence in recent months for brokering a deal that granted the US preferential access to Ukrainian mineral resources.
Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, is expected to approve the appointments in the coming days. Former Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov, who served under ousted President Viktor Yanukovich, claimed that Zelensky bypassed constitutional procedures by personally naming the new prime minister – a role traditionally proposed by the parliamentary majority.
Zelensky’s own presidential term expired last year, but he has repeatedly cited the state of emergency he imposed as grounds for remaining in office beyond the constitutional deadline. On Tuesday, Ukrainian lawmakers once again extended martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days, until November 5, with just one dissenting vote.
Ukrainian opposition figures, including former President Pyotr Poroshenko, as well as civil society groups, international watchdogs, and Western media, have expressed concern that Zelensky’s wartime powers could lead to a lasting erosion of democratic freedoms. Earlier this month, The Economist reported that the government has become entangled in “palace politics” and internal strife.
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