Ukraine Appoints Interim Defense and Foreign Ministers

The Ukrainian government has appointed Yevhenii Khmara to lead the Ministry of Defense and Andriy Sybiha to head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until new ministers are appointed. Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said on Telegram that the changes are intended to ensure continuity in defense and foreign policy.

The cabinet also approved a reorganization of several ministries, including the restoration of the Ministry of Agriculture and the creation of a separate Ministry for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons.

The reshuffle follows President Volodymyr Zelensky's public acknowledgment of problems within the Ministry of Defense, strained relations between outgoing Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, and continuing difficulties with mobilization.

Zelensky also said he would nominate Khmara to Parliament as the new defense minister. Meanwhile, protests by Fedorov's supporters have continued in Kyiv and other cities, with demonstrators calling for his return to the government.

(mja)