First and foremost, the shake-up in Ukraine’s cabinet are not because President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has finally realized that the state governance system created by his six “effective managers” is completely inadequate for wartime conditions.
No, these changes are a projection of external pressure – particularly from Europe (or the U.S.).
The EU has been forced to take over most of the functions of supporting Ukraine – both financially and militarily. Europeans want to work with professionals of the highest caliber. And they want to eliminate situations where representatives of Western defense companies approach our authorities with a proposal to build a weapons manufacturing plant, only to be given a hint that, in order for the proposal to be considered favorably, they first need to… make a contribution. You know… of your euros. In crypto.
At the time, Denys Shmyhal was appointed based on his obedience and predictability – solely as an executor. Under Zelenskyy, the government functions merely as a department of the Presidential Office, with not even a hint of independence. Apparently, Shmyhal also suits the Europeans precisely as a compliant executor. But since they mainly plan to cooperate with the Ministry of Defense, he had to submit his resignation as Prime Minister.
By the way, his willingness to work under the leadership of his former subordinate says a lot about Shmyhal’s boundless obedience.
Yuliia Svyrydenko, too, has shown considerable tolerance in her role as Deputy Prime Minister. The Presidential Office doesn’t expect any unsanctioned moves from her (at least, not for now). That’s why she is set to head the government.
All other reshufflings are about removing those who displease Zelenskyy and Andriy Yermak — and not based on job performance, but purely on the level of personal relationships.
And all this imitation of renewal and modernization of our executive branch is taking place at a critical phase of the war — precisely at the moment when almost everything is at stake.
Right now was the time to work with our partners to develop a joint action plan, to establish clear requirements for both international and Ukrainian structures that would implement that plan. Only then, based on the tasks and required competencies, should people have been selected for government positions. It might have even made sense to invite some foreign experts.
In that case, we might have finally seen the creation of a center for the analysis of combat operations and advanced weaponry. A genuine defense procurement system would have emerged — one based on the real needs of the military, not on the publicity ambitions of top officials. And instead of scrambling to catch up with the enemy, we would be — together with our partners — shaping the course of combat operations, leveraging the existing strengths and capabilities of the Ukrainian and European defense industries.
Do you know what the most objective measure of our Cabinet of Ministers’ effectiveness is? It’s the number of enemy missile strikes targeting the government building. Some regional administrations are attacked regularly. Effective enterprises of our defense industry — constantly. But the Cabinet of Ministers, which is supposed to be the central hub for managing and coordinating Ukraine’s defense efforts — not even once! In other words, the enemy clearly doesn’t see its activities as a threat.
Let’s see what happens after the bed-shifting. Will New PM Ms. Yuliia, like her predecessor, also bring a folding cot from home to the government’s rest room?
To remind, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has initiated a sweeping Ukraine’s government reshuffle, with First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko officially nominated to replace Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who has held the position since 2020. Ukraine’s Parliament is expected to vote on the new government lineup on July 17, 2025.
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