Heavy Task Of New Ukrainian PM Yulia Svyrydenko During The War With Russia

JAKARTA - The Ukrainian Parliament elected Yulia Svyrydenko as the new Prime Minister of Ukraine. This is part of a massive cabinet reshuffle aimed at revitalizing wartime management as peace prospects with Russia fade.

Yulia Svyrydenko (39) has been assigned by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to increase domestic weapons production and restore the loan-dependent Ukrainian economy.

In a speech to parliament, Svyrydenko said he expects his new government to increase the portion of domestic weapons on the Ukrainian battlefield to 50% from 40% within six months.

Svyrydenko also highlighted the deregulation and expansion of economic cooperation with allies as another major goal of reshuffling the largest government since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Svyrydenko, an experienced technocrat who has served as the first deputy prime minister since 2021, has promised to move "fast and firm".

"The war does not provide room for delays," he wrote on X.

"Our priority for the first six months is clear: reliable supply for the army, expansion of domestic weapons production, and increasing the power of our defense forces technology," continued Svyrydenko.

Svyrydenko is also well known by the Trump administration, for negotiating a deal that grants the US special access to Ukraine's mineral wealth.

This deal is considered crucial to strengthen relations between Kyiv and Washington.

Speaking to lawmakers on Thursday, Zelenskyy said further deals with the US would soon be reached, but did not provide specific details.

Parliament also appointed former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine's longest-serving head of government, as Defense Minister and Svitlana Hrynchuk as Minister of Energy.

Former deputies of Svyrydenko, Oleksify Sobolev and Taras Kachka, will each serve as Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, as well as Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration.

"This team has been tested by time," Shmyhal wrote on Thursday. "In front there are new tasks, challenges, and high-level responsibilities," he continued.

Svyrydenko took over the government while Russian troops launched a massive offensive on the frontline that stretches more than 1,000 km (621 miles) and intensified airstrikes in Ukrainian cities.

Ukraine relies on the growing defense industry, which is partly driven by foreign investment, to fend off larger and more sophisticated Russian war engines.

With state revenue allocated for defense, Kyiv also needs to seek funding to finance a budget deficit that swells as foreign aid decreases. Officials say they may face a shortage of around $19 billion next year.

Svyrydenko said his government would launch a full audit of public finances to achieve "real savings", as well as accelerate large-scale privatization and help entrepreneurs.

Several opposition lawmakers voiced skepticism about the ability of a new government to remain independent of Zelenskyy's rule, which holds significant power in times of war based on Ukraine's constitution.

"They will be told by the president's office what they should have done," wrote Yaroslav Zheleznyak of the holos party.