Ukraine's PM to step down amid government reshuffle

Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed on July 12 that she would step down as Ukraine’s Prime Minister following President Volodymyr Zelensky's announcement of a government reshuffle.

Svyrydenko, who replaced former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in July 2025, will now take on a new role leading cooperation with Ukraine’s key partners, Zelensky announced on social media.

"Ukraine is changing its political strategy. Each priority foreign policy direction will be overseen by a specific individual with substantial experience who is capable of delivering on the agreements reached at the leaders' level and fulfilling the expectations of the Ukrainian people," Zelensky wrote.

"I discussed the details with Ukraine's Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko. We agreed that implementing these changes requires a renewal of the Cabinet of Ministers."

Svyrydenko's decision still needs to be approved by the parliament.

Kyiv's foreign policy priorities include agreements with the U.S. to license Patriot air defense missile production, the European anti-ballistic missile project, as well as Ukraine's EU accession process, and a reset in relations with Hungary and Poland, Zelensky wrote.

Other priorities include Kyiv's relationship with the Gulf countries regarding economic and security cooperation, as well as further engaging with China and international organizations to bring Russia's invasion to an end, he added.

"I discussed with the president the challenges facing our country, the changes needed to strengthen the work of the government, and our relations with international partners," Svyrydenko wrote on social media.

"Today, it is critically important to unite all our efforts and resources to strengthen Ukraine."

She thanked the government for its service to the country and said that together they had made difficult decisions under pressure, survived Ukraine's hardest winter, and never allowed Russia to "stop the heartbeat of our state: its economy."

Zelensky also announced that there will be changes in the leadership of Ukraine's law enforcement agencies, although he did not specify which ones.

The Ukrainian leader last conducted a major government reshuffle in January 2026, following a major corruption scandal involving members of his inner circle in November 2025, including former head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak.