Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba resigned on Wednesday, September 4th, amid a crucial moment as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ordered a major government reshuffle after 30 months of war with Russia, marking the most prominent resignation to date.
Kuleba, 43, is the second most well-known Ukrainian figure abroad after Zelenskiy. He has held meetings with world leaders in fluent English and actively lobbied for military and political support for Ukraine.
After five ministers resigned on Tuesday, more resignations and appointments are expected in the coming days, according to Reuters. A senior ally of Zelenskiy sees this as the beginning of a government “reset” to face the upcoming cold autumn and winter seasons.
Kuleba’s resignation letter was posted on Facebook by Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk.
Zelenskiy stated that the government changes are aimed at achieving the results Ukraine needs. “Autumn will be extremely important for Ukraine. Our state institutions should be adjusted so that Ukraine can achieve all the results we need – for all of us,” he said on Tuesday.
As Russian forces advance in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian troops have attacked Russia’s Kursk region. In recent weeks, Moscow has increased drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, while Kyiv launched a large-scale drone strike on Russia’s energy infrastructure over the weekend.
On Tuesday, a military academy in the central Ukrainian city of Poltava was hit by two missiles, resulting in at least 51 casualties, including soldiers.
Later this month, Zelenskiy plans to visit the United States to present a “Victory Plan” to President Joe Biden.
According to Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak, parliamentary committees will consider these resignations and then the parliament will vote on them. This is usually a procedural formality. New appointments could be approved on Thursday.
Zelenskiy is expected to nominate a new candidate for Foreign Minister on Wednesday, with First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha being a popular choice.
On Tuesday, Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, as well as the Ministers of Justice, Environment, and Reintegration resigned.
Since some ministers were dismissed or resigned earlier this year, at least five positions have been left vacant, including crucial roles in agriculture and infrastructure.