Ukraine’s top diplomat resigns in major Zelensky reshuffle
Ukraine’s top foreign diplomat has resigned in the largest shake-up of Volodymyr Zelensky’s wartime government.
Dmytro Kuleba was one of the most recognisable members of the cabinet, but his pleas for air-defence systems and looser restrictions on Western missiles have fallen on deaf ears in recent months.
He was among two deputy prime ministers, three ministers and the head of the country’s state property fund who also offered to vacate their roles, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, announced.
Mr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said that the ministerial overhaul would “give new strength” to Ukraine’s institutions.
“Autumn will be extremely important for Ukraine. And our state institutions must be set up in such a way that Ukraine will achieve all the results we need – for all of us,” he said late on Tuesday.
“To do this, we need to strengthen some areas in the government – and personal decisions have been prepared.”
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The wave of resignations comes at a perilous time for Ukraine, with Russia making significant gains in the eastern Donetsk region.
Moscow has also ramped up its long-range bombardments across Ukraine in recent days, including an attack that killed at least seven people in the Western city of Lviv on Wednesday.
At the same time, Ukrainian forces have captured more than 500 square miles of territory inside Russia’s southern Kursk region.
The reshuffle is the largest by Mr Zelensky in the 30 months since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Mr Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, is the highest-profile casualty of the shake-up.
He had been tasked with convincing Ukraine’s Western allies – mainly the US and UK – to grant permission for long-range missile strikes inside Russia.
The diplomat also recently led efforts to secure donations of additional Patriot air-defence batteries. Last week, he accused several unnamed allies of failing to deliver on their promises to provide the systems.
However, Ukrainian media reported that the Verkhovna Rada, the country’s parliament, had “urgently postponed” the foreign minister’s dismissal at a hearing on Wednesday. The report by European Pravda, citing Yaroslav Zhelezniak, an opposition MP, gave no reason for the decision.
His likely successor would be Andrii Sybiha, the deputy foreign minister, Ukrainian media reported.
Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for Euro-Atlantic integration, confirmed that she was among those who submitted resignations.
She successfully helped Kyiv to become a candidate for EU membership within months of Vladimir Putin ordering his invasion.
Oleksandr Kamyshin, the minister of strategic industries, Denys Maliuska, the justice minister, Ruslan Strilets, the minister of environmental protection and natural resources and Vitaliy Koval, the head of the state property fund also submitted resignations.
Further resignations and sackings are expected in the coming days.
Speaker Mr Stefanchuk said their fate would be decided by politicians at an upcoming parliamentary session.
Mr Zelensky also dismissed Rostyslav Shurma, a senior adviser on economic and energy policy, in his presidential office.
Many of the ministers are expected to be offered new roles within an overhauled government.
Ukrainian outlet Suspilne reported that Mr Kuleba would head up a new ministry overseeing Ukraine’s regions and temporarily occupied territories.
Ms Stefanishyna told the FT she could receive a beefed-up mandate, likely to include the justice ministry portfolio.
The Ukrainian president has fired a number of high-profile officials since the start of the war.
Volodymyr Fesenko, a Ukrainian political analyst, said Mr Zelensky was attempting to avoid “stagnation” in key ministries.
“He thinks that new people will be more motivated and will bring new ideas,” Mr Fesenko added.
But the major reshuffle has prompted concerns that Mr Zelensky is seeking to strengthen his control.
“In practice, we see that all the decisions are made by the president’s office,” Mr Fesenko said.
Moscow said the reshuffle would not have any impact on the potential opening of negotiations with Kyiv.
“No, it’ll have no impact,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “You see the attitude to prospects of a negotiation process. In the past few days especially, you can see how tense the situation is. But of course, we are closely following developments.”
Meanwhile, seven people, including three children, were killed when ballistic missiles struck the western city of Lviv in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Dozens of people were also wounded.
Officials said that about 50 buildings in the city’s historic centre, which is recognised as a historical landmark by Unesco, had been damaged in the strike.
Explosions were also heard over the capital, Kyiv, as air defences intercepted Russian missiles.