Yulia Svyrydenko, the new Ukrainian prime minister appointed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, July 14, finalized her team on Wednesday. The new government was to be presented in the Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, on Thursday or Friday, where its confirmation was virtually certain. The 39-year-old former economy minister takes the reins of a smaller cabinet with restructured ministries, composed of figures already close to the Ukrainian president. The new government marks the first major reshuffle since Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February 2022.
Zelensky had been expressing his desire for change for more than a year, saying he was “tired” of the outgoing prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, who had held office since 2020, a record for longevity in Ukraine. Weapons production is to be one of Svyrydenko’s immediate priorities. Zelensky announced Shmyal would oversee the Ministry of Defense, now merged with the Ministry of Strategic Industries (armaments). Shmyhal, the former right-hand man to Rinat Akhmetov, one of Ukraine’s wealthiest oligarchs, is also an experienced executive.
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