Zelenskyy appoints former defence minister Umierov as secretary of National Security and Defence Council

STANISLAV POHORILOV - 18 July, 10:14

Zelenskyy and Umierov on 12 July. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed decrees appointing former defence minister Rustem Umierov as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.

Source: Presidential Decrees No. 496/2025 and No. 495/2025

Quote from one of the decrees: "Rustem Umierov shall hereby be appointed as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine."

Details: In another decree, the president relieved Oleksandr Lytvynenko from his duties as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, a post to which he was appointed in March 2024 to replace Oleksii Danilov.

Zelenskyy said that he had already discussed with Umierov the work of the National Security and Defence Council and the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, as well as personal tasks in the defence and negotiation sectors.

Among the tasks set by the president is to continue working with partners on arms agreements. "We must fully implement every agreement with our partners on arms supplies, as well as new special agreements on the creation of joint production facilities and the construction of factories on the territory of our partners," the president said.

The second task is to analyse the status of implementation of decisions made by the National Security and Defence Council and the General Staff, to implement what has been delayed, and to significantly strengthen the format of the technological Staff.

The third task set by Zelenskyy is to intensify the negotiation sector. "The implementation of the agreements of the second meeting in Istanbul is currently underway. We need more momentum in this process," the president said.

Background:

On 10 July, Zelenskyy confirmed his plans to replace Ukraine's ambassador to the US and suggested that Defence Minister Rustem Umierov could become the new envoy.
On 12 July, media outlets reported that Zelenskyy was considering Umierov as the main and, so far, only candidate for the position of Ukraine's ambassador to the US.
On 16 July, sources in the president's team told Ukrainska Pravda that the Office of the President was considering not only Umierov but also the current justice minister, Olha Stefanishyna, for the position of ambassador to the US.

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