Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers an address during the seventh meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) at the US Air Base in Ramstein, Germany, 06 September 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE/RONALD WITTEK
Ukraine’s new Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha held his first phone call with his Polish counterpart Radek Sikorski on Friday, reaffirming the “strategic partnership” between the two neighbours and stressing the importance of further strengthening Ukraine’s defence capabilities.
“Ukraine and Poland have a common enemy and a common goal of keeping our bilateral ties strong. In a sign of respect, we held the conversation in Polish,” Sybiha wrote on X, adding that he looked forward to welcoming Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski in Kyiv soon.
Ukraine’s parliament approved the appointment of Sybiha along with eight other ministers on Thursday, following the resignation of Dmytro Kuleba and six other ministers in the biggest government reshuffle since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kuleba, who tendered his resignation on Wednesday, is expected to be appointed to a role focusing on strengthening Ukraine’s relations with NATO, according to Bloomberg.
“Throughout the fall, everyone in their position must deliver tangible results,” Zelensky said.
According to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a meeting of his Servant of the People party on Wednesday that Kuleba, who had served as foreign minister since 2020, lacked the “energy to promote arms deliveries”, while The Economist wrote that Kuleba’s “sophisticated diplomacy did not always align with the raw and emotional rhetoric of his boss”.
Sources told The Economist that Kuleba’s fate was “sealed” in April when Sybiha was moved from Zelensky’s office to become a deputy foreign minister, but pressure from the US State Department had prevented Zelensky from dismissing Kuleba at the time.
In his nightly address to the nation on Thursday, Zelensky said he was “grateful” to the parliament for approving nine new ministers, including incoming Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna and Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin.
Zelensky stressed it was “crucial” that government institutions “operate as actively as possible — more actively than before — at all levels” to progress Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations, to make greater investments in Ukraine’s defence production, and to source more support for the frontline and for all Ukrainians as a whole.
“Throughout the fall, everyone in their position must deliver tangible results,” Zelensky added.
