Zelenskyy appoints the first first Ukrainian Prime Minister since the Russian invasion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed a new Prime Minister for the first time since Russia invaded the Eastern European Nation more than three years ago.

Ukrainian legislators announced on social media on Thursday that Parliament voted by a comfortable majority in favor of Yulia Svyryrydenko becoming the new Prime Minister of the country.

Svyrydenko, 39, last month, negotiated a large mineral and American investment framework with the American secretary to the Treasury Scott Bessent.

Zelenskyy said earlier this week that he had proposed that Svyryrydenko, who was previously Minister of the Economy and one of the Ukrainian ministers since November 2021, leads the government when he initiated “a transformation of the executive branch into Ukraine”. He shared a photo of them together and said that he had discussed “concrete measures to stimulate Ukraine’s economic potential, extend the support programs to Ukrainians and increase our production of interior weapons”.

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Yulia Svyrydenko applauds Denys Shmyhal after the Verkhovna Rada accepted his resignation from Prime Minister of Ukraine on July 16, 2025, in kyiv. (Andrii Nesterenko / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

It is the restructuring of the most important Ukrainian government since Russia invaded on February 24, 2022 and was considered by opposition legislators as a means for Zelenskyy to consolidate power. Ukraine has been under martial law since the day after the invasion.

“The president’s office will be informed of what they should really do,” said Yaroslav Zheleznyak, from the Holos Party, said to Reuters, Distant that the new government would be indebted to Zelenskyy, who has important powers in wartime under the Constitution.

SvyryDenko will replace outgoing Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the oldest head of government in the history of Ukraine. He held the position of more than five years after being appointed on March 4, 2020.

Shmyhal, who met an American special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellog this week after President Donald Trump approved the sale of more patriotic systems, will assume a new role as Minister of Defense of Ukraine, according to the Parliament website.

The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, on the other hand, congratulated Svyrydenko and Shmyhal for their new roles.

“We are fully behind you when you fight for Ukraine’s survival and work for the restoration of your country and the future of the EU,” she wrote to Svyrydenko. For Shmyhal, she said: “The best wishes for your new role as Minister of Defense.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Yulia Svyrydenko was the next Prime Minister of the country. (Images Antonio Masiello / Getty)

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The Ministry of Defense commands one of the most important budgets and has critical importance because of the war. Shmyhal will replace Rustem Umerov, who, although he sought to push reforms, has seen his mandate marked by internal turbulence and persistent dysfunction in the Defense Support system of Ukraine. Despite its active role on the international scene, criticisms said that the ministry had remained in the grip of poor management.

Tuesday, Zelenskyy published a photo of his meeting with SvyryDenko and the Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.

“We are preparing the first stages of the renewed government,” said Zelenskyy, identifying key priorities in the next six months as “increasing the production of national weapons in Ukraine, contracting the volumes required for all types of drones for the internal economic potential of Ukraine, the complete implementation of social support programs in our country.”

“We have defined the results that can be obtained during the first half of the work of the new government,” added Zelenskyy.

Yulia Svyrydenko was appointed next Prime Minister of Ukraine, following a proposal from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a majority vote by the country’s parliament (Vitalii Nosach / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Svyrydenko has often represented Ukraine in high -level discussions with Western partners, focusing on defense cooperation, economic recovery and reconstruction.

Legislators and official colleagues describe it as a diligent framework with a reputation for loyalty to the presidential office, according to the Associated Press.

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In the Parliament of 450 places, 262 legislators voted in favor of Svyrydenko becoming Prime Minister, reported Reuters, citing messages from a handful of legislators, including Yaroslav Zheleznyak, who published a photo of the electronic voting table. The table has shown that 22 legislators voted against Svyrydenko and 26 stirring. The Ukrainian Parliament does not broadcast the sessions in wartime, according to Reuters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.