Zelenskiy overhauls cabinet with slew of new ministers, top diplomat

By Olena Harmash, Yuliia Dysa and Tom Balmforth

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Thursday to appoint nine new ministers, including the foreign minister and two deputy prime ministers, signing off on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's biggest government shakeup since Russia's 2022 invasion.

Andrii Sybiha, 49, an experienced diplomat who does not have a prominent public profile, takes the reins of the foreign ministry, replacing Dmytro Kuleba, who has been one of the best known public faces of Ukraine in the West in recent years.

Though foreign policy is unlikely to change much with Zelenskiy playing the leading role in wartime foreign affairs, the shuffle comes at a delicate diplomatic moment as Kyiv is pressing allies for more help and seeking to win over the global south.

Zelenskiy, who travels to the United States this month and hopes to present a "victory plan" to President Joe Biden, has said that his government needed "new energy" and that this autumn will be important for Ukraine.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said he wanted the government to be "more active" in dealing with Ukraine's Western allies and investors and in helping troops at the front.

"It is crucial that the government operate as actively as possible - more actively than before - at all levels," he said.

The shakeup began on Tuesday when several ministers stepped down. At least five cabinet seats were already vacant after earlier sackings. Zelenskiy proposed replacements, and lawmakers signed off on them on Thursday.

Dmytro Razumkov, an opposition lawmaker, predicted the appointments would not lead to major changes. Most decisions, he said, were ultimately made in Zelenskiy's office, which has considerable emergency powers under martial law.

Olha Stefanyshina, 38, takes charge of a broader portfolio that combines her former role overseeing Ukraine's accession to the European Union and NATO military alliance with those of the justice minister, who stepped down this week.

She said in a speech to lawmakers before her appointment that "hundreds and thousands" of legal changes were needed for Ukraine to become a member of the European Union.

Herman Smetanin, 32, a former engineer, was appointed the strategic industries minister in charge of domestic arms production, continuing a rapid rise that began last year when he became head of the main state arms conglomerate.

Oleksiy Kuleba, a former deputy head of Zelenskiy's office, was named deputy prime minister in charge of reconstruction, regions and infrastructure, an important portfolio that involves oversight of potentially huge financial streams.

'LET OFF SOME STEAM'

Lawmakers also signed off on new ministers for agriculture, culture, environment, veteran affairs and sport.

The shakeup creates a sense of political renewal even though Ukraine cannot hold elections under the terms of martial law.

"People are against holding elections right now so the only way to refresh the authorities and 'let off some steam' is to change officials in the government," Anton Hrushetskyi, executive director of the Kyiv-based pollster KIIS, told Reuters.

Russian forces are inching forward in the east and have stepped up their campaign of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities far from the frontline, hitting the power sector and other infrastructure in almost daily attacks.

Zelenskiy has said his team is preparing several important meetings with foreign partners in September to try to ensure Kyiv recaptures the initiative in the war.

Zelenskiy is expected to take part on Friday in a meeting of the Ramstein group of nations which supplies arms to Ukraine, Germany's Der Spiegel media outlet reported.

The president has repeatedly called on allies to lift restrictions that ban Kyiv from using Western weapons for long-range strikes into Russia.

(Reporting by Olena Harmash and Yuliia Dysa; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Philippa Fletcher, Sharon Singleton, Ron Popeski and Cynthia Osterman)