Zelenskyy promises to reset number of government structures if Russia derails diplomatic path

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced changes in the leadership of certain ministries and a reset of the entire law enforcement system and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, noting that if Russia derails the diplomatic path, Ukraine will need new strength to continue the fight.

Source: Zelenskyy at a briefing after a meeting with security advisers from partner countries

Quote: "We are in the programme of a major reset that I spoke about some time ago. We started with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; not everything has been reset there yet, and there will be some changes concerning the ministries.

You have seen my proposals regarding the first deputy prime minister and the minister of energy [Denys Shmyhal – ed.]… We will also be resetting the Ministry of Defence. The changes I mentioned will begin as soon as parliament supports the candidacy of the new minister of defence, Fedorov.

As for the entire security sector, the entire law enforcement system, I will personally be dealing with rotations of absolutely all leaders… With great respect, we are all on the same team. I think everyone will remain in various high-level positions, but there will also be replacements."

Details: Zelenskyy added that "the concept of rotations will be realised in January."

"Next, after the defence sector has been reset, I will move on to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But to get there, I must be confident that everything else has been reset and that everything else is functioning," Zelenskyy said.

Zelensky emphasised that Ukraine has "two paths", which he discusses with partners, and that the second path "depends exclusively on partners".

Quote: "There is a first path, a less painful one – the peaceful, diplomatic path. And it is number one for me personally; we want to end the war. You can see the diplomacy; we are doing it, and we are very close to a result. But if at some point Russia blocks all of this – and this also depends on partners, if our partners do not force Russia to stop the war – there will be another path, to defend ourselves.

And at that moment, fresh forces will be needed. That is why I am carrying out a parallel reset of all structures, just in case."

Background:

• On 2 January, Zelenskyy signed decrees appointing Kyrylo Budanov as head of the President's Office and Oleh Ivashchenko as his replacement at Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
• Zelenskyy has also proposed appointing Mykhailo Fedorov, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, as the new defence minister.
• Zelenskyy has announced that Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko will shortly present candidates to replace Lieutenant General Serhii Deineko as head of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service. Deineko will remain at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• On 3 January, Zelenskyy said that he expects the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) to approve the appointment of Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal as deputy prime minister and energy minister.
• Zelenskyy later announced that new military administration heads are to be appointed for Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Ternopil and Chernivtsi oblasts.

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