Ukraine's Parliament Approves Koretskyi as New Prime Minister

The Ukrainian Parliament approved Sergii Koretskyi as the country's new prime minister on Thursday. He is Ukraine's third prime minister since Russia invaded in 2022.

Koretskyi, who previously headed the state-owned energy company Naftogaz, won the support of 289 lawmakers, who described him as a capable and effective manager.

Addressing Parliament before the vote, he identified Ukraine's defense, economic stability and continued integration into the European Union as his main priorities.

The approval of the new government was accompanied by rare protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities over the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. More than 1,000 demonstrators demanded that President Volodymyr Zelensky explain the move, describing Fedorov as an effective manager who modernized the army and expanded the use of drones.

On Thursday, Fedorov announced that he had rejected an offer from Zelensky to become his advisor. He also acknowledged a dispute with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, whom he accused of blocking the defense ministry's initiatives.

Zelensky defended the changes to the government, saying both the cabinet and the security forces need renewal, along with closer cooperation between the ministry of defense and the military command.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin is monitoring the extensive government reorganization but that, in his view, the appointment of a new prime minister and defense minister will change nothing unless Kyiv is willing to make decisions leading to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

(Reuters, bak)