Ukrainian parliament approves PM Shmyhal's resignation

The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) has voted to approve the resignation of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Source: Yaroslav Zhelezniak, MP from the Voice faction, on social media

Details: A total of 261 MPs voted in favour of the draft resolution.

Previously: Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal submitted his letter of resignation on 15 July.

The resignation of the prime minister automatically entails the dismissal of the entire Cabinet of Ministers (Ukrainian government). Article 10 of the Law on the Legal Regime of Martial Law contains a provision that prohibits terminating the powers of the Cabinet of Ministers during martial law.

Background:

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Deputy Prime Ministers Yuliia Svyrydenko and Mykhailo Fedorov on 15 July, during which tasks for the Cabinet of Ministers for the next six months were defined.
• On 14 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed that First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko become the head of the Ukrainian government.
• The appointment of a new Cabinet of Ministers by the Verkhovna Rada is scheduled for 17 July, the day after the vote on the resignation.
• Ukrainska Pravda sources said that Oleksii Soboliev, currently First Deputy Minister of Economy, is expected to replace Svyrydenko as economy minister. Read about other planned personnel changes here.
• Zelenskyy said during a press briefing in Rome that he is considering current Defence Minister Rustem Umierov for the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States. Amid rumours about who might replace Umierov, Zelenskyy said that Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal's experience would be useful in the position of defence minister.
• Shmyhal was appointed prime minister in March 2020.

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