Ukraine's Prime Minister steps down
In a significant government reshuffle, Yulia Svyrydenko has been confirmed as the new Prime Minister of Ukraine by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) on July 17, 2025. With 262 votes in her favour, Svyrydenko becomes the first female prime minister of Ukraine.
Svyrydenko, who previously served as the first vice-prime minister and minister of economy, leads a restructured, smaller cabinet composed mainly of figures loyal to President Zelensky. Her priorities include increasing domestic weapons production and boosting the economy through allied cooperation.
Following Denys Shmyhal's resignation as prime minister on July 15, he was appointed by President Zelensky as the new Minister of Defense, overseeing a newly merged Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Strategic Industries (armaments).
Shmyhal, who was previously the 18th Prime Minister of Ukraine, having taken office on March 4, 2020, expressed his gratitude in a statement on his Telegram channel, thanking the defenders of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the entire Cabinet of Ministers for their tireless work.
In another notable change, Olga Stefanishyna, the former Justice Minister, has been named Special Representative for the Development of Cooperation with the United States and is expected to become Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S. Soon after, further government changes are planned, including reconfigurations in the security sector and diplomatic corps.
Rustem Umerov, the current Minister of Defense, is expected to be appointed as the ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, following the reshuffle in the Ukrainian government, which is connected with these planned appointments.
President Zelensky has indicated that more appointments and changes are imminent, signalling ongoing governmental and security sector renewals. The exact timeline for the transition of power is yet to be announced.
What are the projected changes in policy-and-legislation and politics under the new prime minister, Svyrydenko, following her confirmation by the Verkhovna Rada on July 17, 2025? With her emphasis on increasing domestic weapons production and boosting the economy through allied cooperation, one might expect general-news updates regarding these policy initiatives in the near future.
