Zelenskyy eyes major government shake-up: Full list
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (president.gov.ua)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is considering large-scale personnel changes in the Cabinet of Ministers, according to the RBC-Ukraine article Zelenskyy’s next big decision. Is it time for major government shake-up?
According to RBC-Ukraine sources, the decisive factor was the reputational crisis linked to the scandal around Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Chernyshov. He managed to avoid criminal prosecution, but the President’s Office believes that this incident significantly damaged the image of the central government. Therefore, the fate of Chernyshov himself and, likely, his ministry has already been decided.
“There is indeed a certain tension. And these rumors about resignations – not only of Shmyhal but of other ministers as well – are not helping the government’s work. But it’s unlikely that we’ll see any specifics before mid-July. The Prime Minister will definitely not be dismissed before the Recovery Conference, and beyond that – no guarantees,” one of the government officials told the outlet.
Who’s on the way out
According to sources, the potential candidates for dismissal include:
- Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education, due to insufficient results and complaints from MPs;
- Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy, due to criticism against her;
- Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health – reportedly ready to resign after four years in office;
- Matvii Bidnyi, Minister of Youth and Sports – his future remains uncertain;
- Natalia Kalmykova, Minister for Veterans Affairs – the government doubts her effectiveness, but also sees no one to replace her.
Possible new appointments
If Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is dismissed, the main candidate to replace him remains Yulia Svyrydenko, currently head of the Ministry of Economy.
Other possible reshuffles being considered:
- Oleksii Kuleba (Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery) may head the Ministry of Economy or the Ministry of Energy if Herman Halushchenko is dismissed;
- Roksolana Pidlasa, chair of the parliamentary budget committee, could become the new Minister of Finance instead of Serhii Marchenko. However, as believed within the Servant of the People faction, Ukraine’s Western partners are opposed to this move.
According to RBC-Ukraine, another option being discussed is appointing Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as Deputy Prime Minister.
What’s with Umerov
Despite recent rumors, the issue of replacing Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is currently not under consideration. However, sources confirm that earlier, the idea of transferring him to the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to the US was being discussed, but has now been abandoned.
About the Chernyshov case
The scandal around the Deputy Prime Minister erupted while he was abroad, and rumors were spreading in the public about his possible escape. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured the public that Oleksandr Chernyshov was on a foreign business trip scheduled to last until June 22.
The very next day, on June 23, Chernyshov announced that he had personally appeared at the NABU to, in his words, clear things up. There, he was officially served a notice of suspicion of abuse of office and receiving an unlawful benefit on a particularly large scale.
He became the sixth person implicated in a major corruption scheme in the construction sector. The charges concern the period when Chernyshov headed the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development, from March 2020 to November 2022.
