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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday he had nominated first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko to lead his cabinet and โsignificantly renew its workโ, in the most notable shake-up of his government since Russiaโs full-scale invasion.
If approved by parliament, Svyrydenko, who also currently serves as economy minister, would replace current Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to become her countryโs 19th head of government.ย Shmyhal has served in the role since 2020.
Zelenskyy wrote on X that he had met Svyrydenko, 39, who led negotiations on a high-stakes minerals deal with the US, and told her a new prime minister was needed in a โtransformation of the executive branchโ.
โWe also discussed concrete measures to boost Ukraineโs economic potential, expand support programs for Ukrainians, and scale up our domestic weapons production,โ he wrote.
Svyrydenko is considered a close ally of Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyyโs chief of staff. She is also seen as having strong ties with Donald Trumpโs team after leading the minerals talks alongside US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent.
