Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko has officially confirmed that she is resigning from her post, state radio reports BNR Novinite, citing her statements on social networks. Her decision comes just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced plans for a complete restructuring of the Council of Ministers and changes in the leadership of law enforcement agencies.
„I am grateful to the president for the trust and high assessment of the work of our team. I am proud that I had the honor to lead the government in the most difficult period in the modern history of Ukraine“, wrote the 39-year-old Sviridenko on her official Telegram channel. She added that she remains ready to serve the Ukrainian state and perform tasks in the name of the national interest and achieving a just peace.
Zelensky's new strategy
Earlier on Sunday, the head of state used the social network X (formerly Twitter) to announce that Ukraine was moving to an “updated political strategy“. According to the official text of his statement, quoted by the agency Reuters and the European edition Politico, the restructuring aims to put clear, experienced figures at the helm of key foreign policy areas.
Among Kiev's main priorities in the new stage are:
- Licensing and joint production of Patriot anti-aircraft systems with the United States.
- The integration into the European missile defense project.
- The acceleration of negotiations for membership of the European Union.
- Restart bilateral relations with Poland and Hungary.
- Strengthening economic and defense cooperation with the Gulf states and increasing engagement with China.
On the domestic front, Zelensky has emphasized strengthening border and frontline regions, preparing energy infrastructure for the upcoming winter, and reforming state-owned enterprises.
Sviridenko's future and possible successors
Yulia Sviridenko took office as prime minister in July 2025, replacing then-longtime prime minister Denys Shmygal. She previously held the posts of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy. In analyses by Deutsche Welle it is recalled that Sviridenko played a key role in negotiating the strategic agreement on rare minerals between Washington and Kiev, which helped stabilize contacts with the US administration.
Zelensky has already announced that he has offered Sviridenko the position of head of a "new, extremely important direction" in relations with an international partner. Influential opposition member of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Yaroslav Zheleznyak revealed on Telegram that Sviridenko will most likely be appointed as Ukraine's new ambassador to the United States.
According to Ukrainian law, the resignation of the Prime Minister automatically means the resignation of the entire Council of Ministers. The current cabinet will continue to perform its functions ex officio until the parliament votes on a new government.
Three names are already being discussed as potential candidates for the next prime minister in the Rada's corridors:
- Dennis Schmigal – current Minister of Energy and former Prime Minister.
- Mikhail Fedorov – Minister of Defense.
- Sergiy Koretsky – head of the state energy company “Naftogaz“, who MPs claim currently has the most serious chances for nomination.
Ukrainian media, including Ukrainska Pravda, reports that the head of state has already held a series of closed meetings with the three candidates, but the final decision will be made after consultations with the parliamentary groups in the coming days.
Commentators from The New York Times notes that this is the fourth major wave of government reshuffles since the start of the full-scale conflict. It coincides with both Ukraine's successes in drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure and Kiev's efforts to demonstrate to Western allies zero tolerance for corruption following the recent bribery scandal at the state-owned company “Energoatom“.