Following a nomination by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s parliament has voted to confirm First Deputy PM & Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko as the country’s new Prime Minister. A 39-year-old economist by profession, Svyrydenko replaces Denys Shmyhal, who will continue as Defence Minister.

Deputy Prime Minister & Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was promoted to First Deputy PM and will continue to be responsible for digital policies and military technologies. The two other freshly appointed Deputy PMs include Oleksiy Kuleba (responsible for recovery and territorial development) and Taras Kachka, for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration. The new members of government also include Justice Minister German Galushchenko, Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk, Economy Minister Oleksiy Sobolev and Social Policy Minister Denys Uliutin.

Ukraine’s latest cabinet restructuring serves multiple purposes, including providing the government with new impetus in line with current political and policy priorities. It is also intended to ensure a sufficient level of rotation at the top level of government, even if elections cannot be held due to Russia’s ongoing war and the incumbent martial law.

The reshuffle follows both a recent US-NATO agreement to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles and President Trump’s tariff threats against Russia and its energy partners. Accordingly, the restructuring is taking place at a pivotal moment in US-Ukraine relations and is intended to strengthen bilateral ties.

As Prime Minister, Svyrydenko plans to prioritize strengthening support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine by expanding domestic weapons production and advancing the technological capabilities of Ukraine’s military. Her government has also pledged to focus on enhancing the country’s economic self-sufficiency, with particular attention to supporting Ukrainian manufacturers, in addition to aiming for improving the country’s business and investment climate.