‘New energy’: Ukraine’s Zelensky explains government reshuffle
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) and Ireland's Taoiseach Simon Harris delivering a joint press conference after their meeting in Kyiv, on Sept 4.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept 4 his government needed “new energy” during a major reshuffle that saw Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and several others hand in their resignation.
The announcement came a day after several other ministers and officials resigned
Mr Zelensky had said in August that he planned to make changes to the Cabinet, but the scale of the reshuffle has surprised some observers.
“We need new energy,” said Mr Zelensky, when asked about the reshuffle and Mr Kuleba’s future.
“And these steps are related to strengthening our state in various areas.”
He thanked those stepping down for their work, during a joint press conference with Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris in Kyiv.
“Some of them have been our ministers for five years,” he pointed out.
Mr Kuleba - the face of Ukrainian diplomacy during the war - is the most senior of the departing ministers.
A source close to the presidential office told AFP that Mr Zelensky and Mr Kuleba “will discuss and decide” his future post.
Speculation is rife that Mr Kuleba could be tasked to steer Ukraine’s bid to join Nato as soon as possible.
Ukraine’s parliament on Sept 4 approved the resignation of four ministers, but the removal of a deputy prime minister and another senior government member failed to garner enough votes.
Voting on Mr Kuleba’s resignation was postponed until Sept 5, according to a parliamentary source.
Mr Kuleba, 43, has held the key post since 2020. Since Russia’s 2022 attack, he has travelled the world to drum up Western support for Kyiv and to argue for sanctions against Moscow.
An eloquent speaker, Mr Kuleba has been popular abroad and back home.
The deputy head of Mr Zelensky’s office and one of his top aides, Mr Rostyslav Shurma, was dismissed by presidential decree following accusations he had abused his position to secure benefits for his family. AFP
