"New" cabinet or musical chairs reshuffle?

UKRAINE - In Brief 17 Jul 2025 by Dmytro Boyarchuk
The Ukrainian leadership has launched a Cabinet reshuffle. The possible replacement of former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal had been discussed for several years, but he remained too convenient for President Volodymyr Zelensky—flexible and without any personal agenda—making him easy to keep in place. The decision to remove Shmyhal appears to stem from the need to create an impression of government “renewal” against the backdrop of no upcoming elections. However, while the idea was to simulate a change of power, the execution was rather odd: almost all ministers and deputy ministers remained in their positions, with only a few swapping seats. The key change was the appointment of Yuliya Svyrydenko—formerly Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Economy—as the new Prime Minister, while Denys Shmyhal was reassigned as Minister of Defense. I don’t have any particular expectations for the “new” Cabinet. Yulia Svyrydenko is very similar to Denys Shmyhal in her approach—ensuring everything is 100% loyal and obedient to the President’s Office. The only difference is that Svyrydenko is a protégé of Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, while Shmyhal was seen as a somewhat more independent player (if that description can even be applied to him). That’s all. In most cases, the ministers have simply swapped seats, and Andriy Yermak has effectively secured his own Prime Minister. That’s the real outcome of this Cabinet reshuffle.

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