Zelenskyy says he proposed Yulia Svyrydenko to ‘lead’ Ukraine’s government

After meeting Svyrydenko in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said in a statement on X that he and the first deputy prime minister discussed “concrete measures” to boost the country’s economic potential and scale up domestic weapons production, among other matters.

“In pursuit of this goal, we are initiating a transformation of the executive branch in Ukraine. I have proposed that Yuliia Svyrydenko lead the Government of Ukraine and significantly renew its work,” Zelenskyy added.

The president said he is looking forward to the presentation of the new government’s action plan “in the near future.”

On Sunday, Zelenskyy announced preparations for a "substantial governance transformation" following a meeting with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who assumed his post in March 2020.

"This will allow us to reduce the cost of maintaining the government bureaucracy, ensure significant deregulation, and direct the maximum available resources toward the defense of Ukraine and its people," Zelenskyy said in a separate statement on X.

Svyrydenko assumed her position as the first deputy prime minister in November 2021. She simultaneously served as the economy minister.

Meanwhile, no official statement or remarks were made on Shmyhal's resignation, who is currently Ukraine's longest-serving prime minister.

Last week, Bloomberg reported that Zelenskyy and Trump discussed replacing Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the US, during their latest phone call earlier this month.

Citing a person familiar with the matter, the report said Shmyhal is among those listed as potential candidates to replace Markarova.