The world media pays considerable attention to the changes in the government of Ukraine that took place on September 5-6. This is the largest government rotation since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. The reasons for these changes, the concentration of power in the hands of the President’s Office, as well as the possible conflict between the head of the OP Andriy Yermak and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba are reported by foreign media.
Experts with whom journalists spoke The New York Times, believe that the appointment of Olga Stefanyshina to the position of Minister of Justice is a “strong signal” of the government’s commitment to the fight against corruption. However, the publication emphasizes that, in general, the changes in the government of Ukraine probably do not indicate fundamental changes in the internal or foreign policy of the state.
Mykhailo Minakov, senior adviser on Ukraine at the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, noted that these changes had been under consideration since February, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided to implement them now because “Ukraine must prepare for a new stage of war and diplomacy.”
Minakov also notes that power is increasingly concentrated in the Office of the President, and not in the Verkhovna Rada. According to him, as early as September 4, he spoke with several legislators, and they did not know about these reshuffles, which emphasizes the reduction of the role of the parliament in making key decisions.
“The law provides that the government and parliament have the same weight as the president, but in practice we see that all decisions are made in the President’s Office,” – stated in the publication.
Edition Political tried to understand the reasons for Dmytro Kuleba’s dismissal. One former high-ranking official of Ukraine, who wished to remain anonymous, told reporters that Kuleba was probably removed due to conflicts with the head of the OP Andriy Yermak.
“Everyone knew that there was a conflict between them. Once I even witnessed one of these episodes.” – said the former official.
As Politico writes, in his position, Kuleba had well-established contacts with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock and other influential international politicians. However, the interlocutors of the publication assume that communication with Washington through his Office, and not through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is key for President Zelensky.
Zelenskyi officials and advisers told Politico that Kuleba has done little to improve relations between Kyiv and Washington over the past year, focusing instead on promoting his new book. However, some Ukrainian government officials close to the president assure that these were long-planned, ordinary staff reshuffles.
In an interview with Politico, MP Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, who heads the Committee on European Integration, expressed concern about the centralization of power in the Office of the President. She believes that mass resignations of ministers indicate a crisis of governance in the country. Some US officials anonymously told reporters that they “have reason to be concerned” but generally remain tight-lipped, saying the war in Ukraine is a “quite legitimate reason” for such reshuffles.
The Economist writes that Dmytro Kuleba was respected among foreign diplomats, but his actions did not always correspond to the policy of President Zelensky. The publication’s internal sources assume that the decision to dismiss Kuleba was made back in April, when Andrii Sybigu was appointed as his deputy, who was transferred to this position from the President’s Office. Finally, on September 5, Sybiga assumed the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Several sources close to the president suggested that pressure from the US State Department prevented the changes from happening earlier, but now that the United States is busy with presidential elections, the reshuffle has become possible.
As for the dismissal of OP Deputy Chairman Rostislav Shurma, The Economist’s sources suggest that the USA influenced it. In August 2023, Bihus.Info published an investigation, according to which the state enterprise “Guaranteed Buyer” paid 320 million hryvnias for electricity to solar plants in the occupied territories. Among them were stations belonging to Shurma’s entourage. In February 2024, the NAZK drew up a protocol against Shurma, accusing him of using his official position for his own benefit.
French edition The World focuses on the fact that the government reshuffle, despite the lack of radical changes, refreshes the government, because due to the war, the prospects for parliamentary and presidential elections remain blocked. The article states that rumors about these changes appeared back in February, and Zelensky himself gave the appropriate signals. Therefore, according to the analysts of the publication, it is inappropriate to talk about the government crisis in Ukraine.
In the material Air Force it is also about a possible conflict between Yermak and Kuleba. In addition, the publication analyzes another appointment in the government — the promotion of Olga Stefanyshina to the position of Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and Justice. BBC analysts believe that this indicates Ukraine’s desire to advance in the direction of future EU membership.
Analysts hold a similar opinion German Marshall Fund, which remind that the Constitution of Ukraine requires that the appointment and dismissal of most ministers be carried out at the request of the Prime Minister and approved by the Verkhovna Rada. The president is authorized to submit for approval to the parliament only the nominations of the prime minister, the minister of defense and the minister of foreign affairs.
“In practice, however, recent personnel changes indicate a loss of the parliament’s powers,” — stated in the article of the Foundation.
As an example, they cite the dismissal of Oleksandr Kubrakov from the post of Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine in May of this year. He stated that this decision was not discussed with him and he was not invited to the meeting of the faction and the specialized committee.
Swiss edition Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) believes that personnel changes in the government of Ukraine are not radical, as several officials simply moved to other positions. At the same time, NZZ emphasizes that Zelensky operates according to a different leadership style compared to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, who has kept his cronies in office for decades due to fear of change. In contrast, Zelensky shows readiness for changes and renewal of his government. The publication also notes that rumors about personnel changes have been circulating since February, and Zelensky himself gave the appropriate signals. Therefore, it is inappropriate to talk about a crisis in the government.
“After the Russian attack, President Zelensky postponed personnel changes, trying to signal stability. However, signs of wear and tear accumulate in any government, and even more so in wartime conditions. Zelensky has a completely different style of government than his Kremlin opponent Putin, who often keeps many of his gunmen in their posts for more than a dozen years – until old age, because of fear.” – wrote the publication.
Italian edition Corriere della Sera comments that personnel reshuffles in the Ukrainian government do not indicate Zelensky’s weakness, as Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, submitted. “Autumn, November», – she wrote on the social network. On the contrary, these changes shorten the chain of command, speed up the decision-making process, and strengthen Zelensky’s position as commander-in-chief. The publication also notes that those who had doubts or were ready to make compromises are forced to leave the political arena.
In light of these changes, Corriere della Sera argues that Zelenskyy continues to harden his line on Russia while making his government more effective and dynamic in the face of war. The publication also emphasizes that the new personnel appointments help Ukraine to continue the fight against Russian aggression, making the decision-making process more efficient.
