Ukraine, Kuleba resigns: it’s the day of Zelensky’s reshuffle

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has submitted his resignation today, the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, the parliament in Kiev, Ruslan Stefanchuk, announced, posting a photo of Kuleba’s letter on Facebook. According to the Kiev Independent, Stefanchuk said the potential resignation would be “considered at one of the upcoming plenary meetings,” but did not provide a date.

The step back comes in the aftermath of Russia’s dramatic attack on Poltava and a few hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced “changes”. “I expect changes in the direction of domestic and foreign policy. We need more interaction between the” local “communities and the central authorities, especially before the winter season,” he said in his evening message.

Last night, Ukrainska Pravda explained that the government reshuffle in Kiev could also involve the head of diplomacy, who could be replaced by his deputy, Andrei Sibiga. The spokesman for Voloydmyr Zelensky’s party, David Arakhamia, spoke of a reshuffle that will involve “more than 50%” of the government.

Yesterday, the ministers of strategic industries Alexander Kamishin, justice Denis Maliuska, environment and natural resources Ruslan Strilets, and the director of the State Property Fund Vitali Kova also resigned. In the evening, it was learned that deputy prime ministers Olha Stefanishyna and Iryna Vereshchuk, the former responsible for European integration, the latter for refugees, also intended to leave the government.