Zelenskiy orders war's biggest reshuffle to give Ukraine 'new energy'

By Olena Harmash

KYIV (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that Ukraine needed "new energy", as he ordered a major government reshuffle at a crucial juncture in the war against Russia.

A total of six ministers, including Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, submitted their resignation and parliament accepted the resignations of four.

They included the resignations of a deputy prime minister in charge of European integration, the strategic industries minister overseeing Ukraine's arms production and two other ministers, the lawmakers said.

"We need new energy today, and these steps are related only to the strengthening of our state in different directions," Zelenskiy told media during a joint news conference with a visiting Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris.

Lawmakers said that parliament was expected to consider Kuleba's resignation on Thursday.

After Zelenskiy, 43-year-old Kuleba was the best-known face of Ukraine overseas, meeting leaders around the world and lobbying for military and political support in fluent English.

Later on Wednesday, Zelenskiy met lawmakers from his "Servant of the People" party, and the leader of the parliamentary group said those attending backed the president's calls for changes in the government line-up.

"Based on the results of the meeting of the faction, a general picture of personnel rotations was worked out to strengthen the state," faction leader David Arakhamia wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

On the list of candidates being considered by deputies to replace ministers who resigned was First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha as a potential successor to Kuleba.

RESHUFFLE DELAYED

Analysts said the government reset had been planned for some time but was postponed as Zelenskiy had focused on talks with Kyiv's Western partners to secure military and financial aid.

"This is a planned personnel overhaul of the government," said Volodymyr Fesenko, a Kyiv-based political analyst.

"Now half of the government will be renewed. This is Zelenskiy's style. He believes that the new minister brings new energy, new approaches, works more actively. He expects exactly this effect."

Fesenko did not expect a major foreign policy change following Kuleba's expected dismissal.

The Kremlin said that government changes in Ukraine would not affect a peace negotiation process in any way, although such talks appear a distant prospect with the two warring parties far apart in their objectives.

The next few months are key for Zelenskiy as he seeks to win more support from the West and seize back the initiative in the war with Russia, after its invasion in February 2022.

Later this month Zelenskiy travels to the U.S. where he hopes to present a "victory plan" to President Joe Biden, a key ally.

Russian forces are advancing in the east of Ukraine while Kyiv's troops have made an incursion into Russia's Kursk region.

Moscow has intensified drone and missile attacks in recent weeks, while Kyiv launched a mass drone attack on Russia's energy infrastructure over the weekend.

On Tuesday, at least 50 people, including soldiers, were killed by two missiles in the central Ukrainian town of Poltava in the deadliest single attack of the war this year.

Analysts said Zelenskiy's talent pool was limited and expected some outgoing ministers to be reappointed to new roles.

Outgoing Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin, who oversaw a jump in domestic arms production, said on Tuesday he would remain in the defence sector in a different role.

Among the other positions being considered were the justice minister and culture and information minister, who would have a say over countering Russia's narrative about the war.

Lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said parliament would continue considering resignations and appointments on Thursday. For now, 10 out of 21 ministerial portfolios were vacant.

(Additional reporting by Max Hunder, Anastasiia Malenko and Pavel Polityuk; Writing by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Gareth Jones, Sharon Singleton, Alison Williams, Ron Popeski and Marguerita Choy)