Ukrainian Parliament accepts resignation of PM Svyrydenko

Ukrainian PM Yulia Svyrydenko. (Wikimedia Commons/FDCO/Rick Robbins)

JAKARTA - The Ukrainian parliament accepted Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko's resignation on Tuesday, following President Volodymyr Zelensky's plan to overhaul the cabinet.

A motion to accept the 40-year-old economist's resignation was approved in parliament, although some lawmakers expressed concern about such a sudden change.

"Every day this year demands difficult decisions and decisive action. I am very grateful for the trust and support I have received. You also know that I have always believed that results are the most important," Svyrydenko said in his farewell speech, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (15/7).

Svyrydenko was appointed head of the cabinet a year ago, months after a major corruption case involving senior officials came to public attention. Since then, his critics have accused him of failing to take sufficiently decisive action to clean up the cabinet.

Preisden Zelenskyy said Ukraine was changing its political strategy and needed new people, but did not provide adequate explanations about its cabinet changes again.

Meanwhile, Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of parliament from the opposition Holos party, mocked the soon-to-be government's track record: "We are promised results every day. The government has kept its promise: a presentation every day, a press conference every day, and every day we have a new suspect in a corruption case."

Svyrydenko's resignation triggered the resignation of other officials. Members of parliament identified Serhiy Koretskyi, head of the state oil and gas company Naftogaz, as a potential replacement.

Other possibilities include the return of Svyrydenko's predecessor, Denys Shmyhal, who is now energy minister, or giving the post to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Ukraine has sought to gain ground in recent months in the war that has lasted more than four years, hitting Russian energy and logistics facilities with long-range strikes.

The prime minister largely handles domestic policy, keeping the wartime economy running and repairing damage from Russia's relentless assault on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.

Svyrydenko said preparations for winter would be the main challenge for the new government, as Russia is expected to step up attacks on Ukraine's power grid and gas systems.