Reaction: Ukraine Government Shake-up
On Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the most wide-ranging overhaul of Ukraine’s government since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, promising the changes would bring “new energy” to his administration.
By Elina Beketova, Volydymyr Dubovyk, Vitalii Dankevych, and Elena Davlikanova (Dubovyk is a Visiting Scholar at the Fletcher Russia and Eurasia Program)
The reshuffle introduces nine new faces to the Cabinet, but there’s little suggestion of any major changes in policy. Zelenskyy’s immediate team will continue to be led by the head of the presidential office Andriy Yermak, while some of those leaving their posts — like Alexander Kamyshin, the highly regarded minister for domestic arms production — will move across to the presidential administration.
Headlining the reshuffle was the replacement of Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba with Andrii Sybiha, a former ambassador to Turkey and deputy head of the presidential office, but other shifts affected the governance of the economy, social policy, and support for the internally displaced and the temporarily occupied territories.
This shakeup comes before Zelenskyy’s upcoming visit to the US later in September and ahead of what is set to be a difficult winter for Ukrainians. CEPA experts discuss what is behind these moves and what they mean for the future of Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
Elina Beketova
For months, rumors have swirled about a government shakeup in Kyiv – including the potential resignation of the prime minister and the entire government. While a total overhaul is not possible under martial law, the reshuffle we are now witnessing is a continuous process. Ukraine needs to demonstrate change and success, and one way to achieve this is by introducing new faces in the government.
As President Zelenskyy stated, Ukraine needs “new energy today, and these measures are linked to strengthening our state.”
So far, the Verkhovna Rada has dismissed only four ministers: Ruslan Strilets (Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources), Oleksandr Kamyshin (Minister of Strategic Industries), Denys Maliuska (Minister of Justice), and Olha Stefanishyna (Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration).
According to Ukrainian media, Minister of Justice Maliuska had long wanted to leave but was not permitted to. Now his duties will be taken over by Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, who has long been involved in European integration.
Elina Beketova is an in-residence fellow at CEPA. Her research focuses on temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Dubovyk
Foreign Minister Kuleba has been working throughout the war, a period that now stretches to 31 months, and on a purely human level must be completely exhausted. Complete burnout cannot be excluded as one of the factors, as with many of the ministers. He was also tired and frustrated with not being able to secure more foreign aid, where there has been a slowdown of late. Finally, Kuleba did not have foreign policy entirely under his full control; the role is effectively shared with the office of the president. There have been stories he and some of those in the President’s team did not always see eye to eye. There might have been a tension that needed to be resolved one day. And now the day has come.
Volodymyr Dubovyk is a Non-resident Senior Fellow at CEPA. He has been working at the Odesa I. Mechnikov National University since 1992.
Vitalii Dankevych
The replacement of key figures in the government and the presidential office is an important step to enhance the effectiveness of governance at a critical time for the country. The changes may help strengthen the interaction between central authorities and communities and ensure proper coordination in foreign policy and defense matters.
At the same time, the lack of official explanations surrounding the dismissal of energy chief Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the head of Ukrenergo, raises some concerns. Kudrytskyi himself claims that the supervisory board’s decision was not related to the protection of energy facilities, which have been under serious and sustained attack from Russian missiles. Furthermore, two members of the supervisory board resigned in protest, calling the dismissal politically motivated and unjustified. This calls into question the transparency and objectivity of personnel decisions in state institutions.
Vitalii Dankevych is a Non-resident Fellow with the Democratic Resilience Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis. He is dean of the Faculty of Law, Public Administration, and National Security at Polissia National University (Ukraine), and he is also a professor at the Department of International Economic Relations and European Integration.
Elena Davlikanova
Recent changes in the government are related to personnel rotation several times announced by the President during the year. In wartime, working in public administration is challenging and exhausting, and society demands some positive agenda, which is difficult to deliver in the given security and economic situation. Societal frustrations channeled to not only the government but all branches of power, in general, reflect not only Ukrainian permanent dissatisfaction with authorities (which is one of the factors driving constant change of power) but unaddressed challenges in specific areas.
The core government team remains stable, with the Prime Minister and Ministers of Defense, Economy, Digitalization, Internal Affairs, Finance, Social Policy, Health, and Education all retaining their positions. The Prime Minister, though, sits in a shaking chair. The Ministry of Reconstruction also faces challenges and may be split into the Ministry of Regional Policy and the Ministry of Infrastructure. However, the role of the Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction, likely overseeing regional policy, will remain essential to coordinate community-level reconstruction.
The change in the Minister of Justice is a personal decision. Concurrently, the government is reinforcing efforts to align Ukrainian legislation with EU standards, crucial for future membership. The Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration is likely to lead the Ministry of Justice, thus, fostering the delivery of Ukraine’s commitments to the EU and NATO.
Kuleba’s departure, on the other hand, maybe a reaction to a perceived lack of significant victories on the diplomatic front. This is one of the ministers who enjoys wide public support, but just as with the dismissal of former head of the armed forces, Gen. Zaluzhny, public appreciation is not a shield in wartime.
Elena Davlikanova is a Democracy Fellow with CEPA. Her work is focused on Ukraine and Russia’s domestic issues and their effects on global peace.
(This post is republished from CEPA.)