Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Thursday to appoint a new foreign minister and two new deputy prime ministers as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy carries out the biggest cabinet reshuffle since the current crisis began in February 2022.
Andriy Sipha, 49, will take over as foreign minister from Dmytro Kuleba, one of Ukraine’s most prominent figures in the West in recent years. Sipha is a long-serving but little-known diplomat.
The new leadership of the Foreign Ministry is not expected to significantly influence Ukraine’s policy.
Zelensky said Ukraine needed “new energy” and that this fall would be an important chapter for his country in the crisis.
Zelensky is scheduled to travel to the United States this month and hopes to present a “plan for victory” to US President Joe Biden.
Parliament reappointed Olha Stefanishina, 38, as deputy prime minister for European integration, giving her a bigger portfolio that includes overseeing the justice ministry.
MPs also approved the reappointment of Oleksiy Kuleba, Zelensky’s former deputy chief of staff, as deputy prime minister for reconstruction, regions and infrastructure.
Parliament is expected to appoint other new ministers as part of the cabinet reshuffle.
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