Zelenskyy considered at least three candidates for defence minister post

Anhelina Strashkulych - 16 July, 10:30

Denys Shmyhal. Photo: Shmyhal on Facebook

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy considered at least three candidates for the position of defence minister: Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs; Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation and Minister of Digital Transformation; and Oleksandr Kamyshin, his advisor on strategic issues and former minister of strategic industries.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda article

Quote from the article: "The defence minister should be someone who lives and breathes war 24/7, understands the real state of affairs, is physically capable of handling a budget of this scale, knows how to streamline management processes and, most importantly, can keep the ‘defence secrets’ of various influential groups in power confidential and has good relations with both Zelenskyy and Yermak."

Details: Ukrainska Pravda learned that Zelenskyy considered at least three candidates for the post of defence minister: Klymenko, Fedorov and Kamyshin.

Interior Minister Klymenko declined the president's offer. The idea of offering the post to Fedorov and Kamyshin was abandoned because they lack good relationships with Andrii Yermak, Head of the President's Office.

Quote from the article: "Without effective working communication with the head of the President’s Office, it is difficult for ministers to work. This is evidenced by the example of Oleksandr Kubrakov, former deputy prime minister for restoration, who went from being the president's ‘favourite’ to an outcast (not without Yermak's involvement)."

Details: Only one person met all the requirements – Denys Shmyhal.

Upon Shmyhal's appointment as defence minister, the government plans to merge the Defence Ministry with the Ministry of Strategic Industries.

Background:

At a press conference in Rome on 10 July, President Zelenskyy announced that he was considering current Defence Minister Rustem Umierov for the position of Ukraine's ambassador to the United States.
On 14 July, Zelenskyy proposed that First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko become the head of the Ukrainian government, with current Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal taking the post of defence minister.
Shmyhal submitted a letter of resignation to the parliament on 15 July. The dismissal of the prime minister entails the resignation of the entire government.
Ukraine’s parliament is to consider the prime minister's resignation at a meeting on 16 July. The vote on the appointment of the new head of government and ministers is scheduled for 17 July.

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