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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has invited the country’s deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko to be prime minister.
“We are launching a transformation of the executive branch in Ukraine. I have invited Yulia Svyrydenko to head the government of Ukraine and to significantly upgrade its work,” he said in a post on X.
“I look forward to presenting the new government’s action program in the near future.”
Svyrydenko’s appointment, which has to be approved by parliament, is part of Zelenskyy’s government reshuffle.
For Svyrydenko to become the next head of government, incumbent Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal must submit his resignation to parliament, which must then vote on the issue.
Parliament is next due to sit this week and Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party controls the majority of seats so his nomination of Svyrydenko is expected to pass with little opposition.
Svyrydenko has a background as an economist and has held several positions in the Ukrainian government, including minister of economic development and trade and deputy head of the office of the president.
Svyrydenko came to international prominence earlier this year as one of the key driving forces behind the Ukraine-US minerals exploitation deal.
She led the Ukrainian delegation to Washington and signed the deal on behalf of Ukraine on 30 April with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The agreement establishes a joint reconstruction investment fund to develop Ukraine’s mineral resources sector, with equal profit sharing between the two countries.
The deal was seen as strengthening Ukraine’s economic recovery and securing long-term cooperation with Washington.
Additional sources • AP
