How the Cabinet Canceled the Appointment of the Head of Ukraine’s Bureau of Economic Security

All According to the Law: How the Cabinet Canceled the Appointment of the Head of Ukraine’s Bureau of Economic Security.

When allies can’t win through a fair competition, they “legally” cancel the results using dirty tricks.

And then, of course, one can put on a white dress and head off to serve as Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States.

In late June, the commission responsible for selecting the director of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) submitted a nomination to the government — that of NABU detective Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s Cabinet was expected to perform a purely formal function: confirm the appointment. Nothing more, nothing less.

But unexpectedly – and to the surprise of both the Ukrainian public and international partners (some of whom participated in the selection process) – the government refused to appoint Tsyvinsky. Instead, it asked the commission to submit alternative candidates.

What raised eyebrows wasn’t just the decision itself, but the reasoning offered. Officials cited “security threats” and assured the public that “everything was done legally” – an explanation that, in their view, sufficed to justify ignoring the competition’s outcome.

New Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said the Cabinet’s decision complied with legal procedures and regulations. This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak.

In response to Zhelezniak’s question, Svyrydenko said that the refusal to appoint Tsyvinsky – despite him being the commission’s pick – followed legal protocol.

“Regarding the BES procedure, it was carried out according to laws and regulations. We reviewed the recommendation, and each Cabinet member had the opportunity to express their position: abstain, support, or reject — based on the information that was presented to then-Minister for European Integration and Justice, Olha Stefanishyna, concerning alleged connections to the aggressor state,” Svyrydenko explained.

Oleksandr Tsyvinsky, a NABU detective, was declared the winner of the competition to lead the BES. On June 24, the commission received a recommendation from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to conduct polygraph tests on certain candidates – including Tsyvinsky – whose relatives were said to have connections to Russia.

Despite this, the commission still submitted his candidacy to Prime Minister Shmyhal. Yet, the Cabinet refused to confirm Tsyvinsky’s appointment and instead requested that the commission resubmit up to two names who meet “security criteria.”

Questions Remain:

— How exactly did the Cabinet consider this decision? According to PM Svyrydenko, it involved information shared with then-Minister Stefanishyna, after which each minister voted individually.

But as one source told Ekonomichna Pravda, the process is murky: “I’m actively trying to find out the reasons behind the decision. According to procedure, there should have been a Cabinet vote. The simplest way to clarify this would be to release the transcript and audio recording. That would answer 99% of questions.”

It also raises questions about the chain of communication: the information wasn’t sent to the commission but to Mrs Stefanishyna? Who requested it? Why? On what grounds?

Ultimately, only those who made – or were told to make – the decision know why Tsyvinsky wasn’t appointed.

According to EP’s sources, on July 21, the commission will resubmit Tsyvinsky’s candidacy to the Cabinet – now reshuffled and led by Yuliia Svyrydenko.

Whether the outcome changes remains to be seen.

EMPR