Ukrainian Parliament dismisses Prime Minister Shmyhal

Key questions

• How did the Verkhovna Rada dismiss Shmyhal?
• Why was it decided to replace the prime minister?
• Who will now head the government?
• What is known about Shmyhal's possible appointment as ambassador to the United States?
• No longer prime minister. Why was it decided to dismiss Shmyhal?

This marks the end of Shmyhal's five-year term as head of government, the longest of any Ukrainian prime minister since Ukraine's independence.

Shmyhal's dismissal means that his entire government is also automatically resigning.

The resignation was not accompanied by any loud statements or accusations. However, the decision to change the prime minister had been maturing for a long time and was discussed last summer.

However, as RBC-Ukraine learned from sources, the prime minister's resignation was not caused by a single reason, but rather by a number of factors. In particular, the need to renew the system against the backdrop of a protracted war, public fatigue, and internal competition within the government.

The interlocutors told the agency that the scandal surrounding the case of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity Oleksii Chernyshov was one of the factors that accelerated the personnel changes in the government.

Another factor was internal competition among the top leadership, particularly in the Office of the President, where various influential groups have their visions for the configuration of the government.

Will Svyrydenko now head the government?

Last summer, there were rumors about Shmyhal's resignation (at that time, the dismissal did not take place, but the Rada replaced several ministers) and the appointment of Yulia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, to replace him. She is the main and, in fact, the only candidate for the position of head of government. This week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered Svyrydenko the position of prime minister and instructed her to form a team.

Svyrydenko's appointment as the new prime minister has been discussed in government circles for a long time. She is responsible for the economic bloc and is actively involved in international negotiations. It was Svyrydenko who signed the high-profile agreement on minerals with US Treasury Secretary Scott Besent.

Svyrydenko is considered close to the head of the President's Office, Andrii Yermak, and her candidacy has been repeatedly considered in the President's Office. At the same time, sources note that earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in no hurry to appoint her, doubting her stress resistance and ability to withstand the political pressure inherent in the position of prime minister.

If Svyrydenko is appointed prime minister, she will be the first woman to hold this position in more than 15 years and the second in the history of independent Ukraine (the first female prime minister was Yulia Tymoshenko, who headed the government twice).

Svyrydenko began her career in business and later moved to public service, where she rose from regional administration to the national level. In particular, she worked in the Chernihiv Regional State Administration, in the Office of the President, and later moved to the Ministry of Economy.

Will Shmyhal become the head of the Ministry of Defense?

Last week, information about Shmyhal's further appointment in the diplomatic corps was actively circulating in the corridors.

According to Bloomberg, during a telephone conversation between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States on July 4, Zelenskyy raised the issue of replacing the Ukrainian ambassador in Washington, and Shmyhal is mentioned among the priority candidates to replace Oksana Markarova.

Informed sources told RBC-Ukraine that Shmyhal could be sent as ambassador to the US. They explained that Ukraine needs a high-level representative in Washington who is well-versed in American political realities and already has experience in negotiations with the US.

At the same time, the situation changed this week. After his resignation, Shmyhal is expected to be appointed defense minister. This information has already been confirmed by the president. The current head of the Ministry of Defense, Rustem Umerov, may be appointed ambassador to the United States.

Denys Shmyhal has held the position of Prime Minister of Ukraine since March 2020, replacing Oleksii Honcharuk.

Shmyhal worked in the business sector, particularly in the energy and industrial spheres. He held management positions in private companies, including in structures associated with DTEK.

He later moved to public service. In addition to being prime minister, he served as Minister of Community and Territorial Development, headed the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration, and worked in the Lviv Regional State Administration.

Read more about personnel changes in the government and which ministers may be dismissed in an article by RBC-Ukraine.